University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


30th  CONGRESS,  [  SENATE.  ]  EXECUTIVE, 

2d  Session.  No.  31. 


avu  d 


REPORT 


OF  THE 


SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY, 


COMMUNICATING 


Copies   of  Commodore  Stockton^  despatches,  relating  to  the  mili 
tary  and  navaT  operations  in  California. 


FEBRUARY  16, 1849. 

Read,  and  ordered  to  be  printed  ;  and  that  500  additional  copies  be  printed  for  the  use  of  the 

Senate. 


NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 

February  14,  1849. 

SIR:  In  compliance  with  a  resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the  8th 
instant,  I  have  the  honor  to  communicate  herewith  u  a  copy  of  the 
despatch  of  the  5th  of  February,  1847,  of  Commodore  Robert  F. 
Stockton,  commanding  the  forces  of  the  United  States  in  Califor 
nia,"  together  with  copies  of  f{  such  other  despatches  of  Commo 
dore  Stockton  relating  to  the  nava-1  and  military  operations  in 
that  country  as  have  not  heretofore  been  communicated  to  Con 
gress  and  published." 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  Y.  MASON. 
Hon.  GEORGE  M.  DALLAS, 

Vice  President  of  the  United  States, 

and  President  of  the  Senate. 


Y 


,  U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Bay  of  Monterey,  September  18,  1846. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  des 
patches  of  the  15th  of  May,  addressed  to  my  predecessor,  and  sent 
by  Passed  Midshipman  McRae,  who  delivered  them  to  me  on  board 
of  this  ship  on  the  night  of  the  7th  of  September,  soon  after  we 
came  to  anchor,  in  the  bay  of  "  Santa  Barbara,"  where  I  stopped 
on  my  way  to  this  place  to  take  on  board  a  detachment  of  men 


' 
[31]  2 

which  I  left  for  the  defence  of  that  place,  after  we  had  taken  it 
on  our  way  to  San  Pedro. 

I  am  happy  to  say  in  answer  to  that  despatch,  that  all  your  in 
structions  contained  therein  had  been  anticipated  and  executed, 
and  my  proceedings  forwarded  to  you  by  different  routed  two 
weeks  before  the  arrival  of  Mr.  McRae — even  that  part  of  them 
suggesting  that  a  messenger  be  sent  across  the  mountains  to  Wash 
ington;  which  messenger  I  hope  you  will  have  seen  and  sent  back 
to  me  before  this  can  reach  you. 

I  send  enclosed  the  correspondence  between  General  Castro  and 
myself.  I  did  not  answer  his  last  letter,  but  by  a  verbal  message, 
which  does  not  properly  belong  to  history.  We  found  in  and  near 
his  camp  ten  pieces  of  artillery — six  in  good  order,  and  four 
spiked. 

The  elections  as  far  as  heard  from  have  been  regularly  held,  and 
the  proper  officers  elected.  The  people  are  getting  over  their  first 
alarm,  and  our  friends  are  not  now  afraid  to  avow  themselves. 

General  Castro  and  the  governor  having  collected  at  one  time 
so  large  a  force  together,  and  our  remaining  inactive  at  Monterey, 
induced  the  belief  that  we  were  not  willing  to  run  the  hazard  of  a 
fight,  and  that  if  we  did  we  must  be  beaten.  No  one,  foreigner  or 
native,  dared  aid  us  even  with  advice  or  information. 

But  since  Castro  and  the  governor  have  been  driven  out  of  the 
country,  the  aspect  of  things  is  changed,  and  all  is  going  on  as 
well  as  we  ought  to  desire. 

By  an  intercepted  correspondence  between  the  military  com 
mandant  at  Mazatlan  and  General  Castro,  it  appears  that  arrange 
ments  were  making  to  send  troops  into  California,  and  General 
Castro  is  strongly  urged  to  destroy  the  "nefarious  enemy."  But 
it  is  too  late. 

I  take  the  opportunity  of  this  communication  to  remind  you  of 
two  things  that  may  be  of  some  importance  to  be  remembered. 

1st.  That  neither  San  Francisco  or  Monterey  are  susceptible, 
within  any  reasonable  expense,  of  being  defended  from  an  attack 
made  from  the  interior;  every  commanding  position  within  reach 
of  a  cannon  ball  from  the  water  is  overlooked  by  adjacent  hillsr 
within  gun  shot.  We  must,  therefore,  hold  the  country  along  the 
sea  coast  as  far  south  as  St.  Lucas,  and  make  the  river  Gila  and  a 
line  drawn  from  that  river  across  to  the  Del  Norte  the  southern 
boundary,  all  of  which  is  now  in  our  possession.  It  is  not  my  bu 
siness,  perhaps,  to  say  more  on  the  subject.  I  will  send  you,  how 
ever,  a  map  which  I  have  made,  and  on  which  I  have  traced  with 
red  ink  the  boundary  line  above  suggested. 

2nd.  That  this  territory  within  the  lines  marked  by  me  should 
be  retained  by  the  United  States,  as  indispensable  to  preserve 'the 
lives  and  property  of  our  fellow  citizens  residing  here,  as  well  as 
to  secure  anything  like  permanent  peace. 

I  have  put  some  guns  on  board  the  store  ship  "Erie"  and  made 
a  cruiser  of  her.  She  will  sail  on  a  cruise  immediately  to  circu 
late  the  enclosed  notice  and  to  look  out  for  privateers,  and  will 
touch  at  Panama  to  deliver  and  receive  despatches. 


3  [31] 

As  soon  as  the  schooner  Shark  returns  from  the  Columbia  river, 
I  will  send  her  on  a  cruise  for  the  protection  of  our  whale  ships. 

The  Savannah,  Portsmouth  and  Cyane  will  continue  the  block 
ade  of  the  coast  of  Mexico,  whilst  I  will  in  the  Congress  go  up  the 
gulf  of  California  and  pay  my  respects  to  San  Jose,  La  Paz,  Loreto 
and  Guaymas,  thence  along  the  Mexican  coast,  thence  to  the  Sand 
wich  islands,  thence  to  San  Francisco. 

The  Warren  will  be  obliged  to  lay  by  for  extensive  repairs. 

By  which  disposition  of  the  squadron  I  hope  to  meet  your  ap 
probation,  as  well  as  the  views  of  Mr.  Webster  and  his  friends, 
who  signed  the  letter  to  the  President  which  I  found  amongst  your 
last  despatches.  Besides,  I  will  order  the  ships  of  the  blockading 
squadron  occasionally  to  change  their  ground  and  take  a  cruise, 
one  after  the  other,  for  the  protection  of  the  whalers.  By  these 
courses  we  will  cross  each  other's  track,  and  so  traverse  the  ocean 
as  to  render  it  somewhat  hazardous  for  a  privateer  to  be  dodging 
about  within  our  circle. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore ,  &c. 

Your  letter  to  Commodore  Bicldle  will  be  sent  to  the  Sandwich 
islands  by  the  American  ship  Brooklyn,  which  leaves  this  place  in 
a  day  or  two  for  Honolula. 

Hon.  GEO.  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  JVary,  Washington,  D.  C. 


[Tran,lation.] 

ON  THE  ROAD  TO  §AN  PEDRO, 

August  7,  1846. 

Commissioned  by  the  commandant  general  and  chief  of  the  divi 
sion  of  operations  in  this  department  to  present  to  your  lordship 
a  note,  and  to  receive  explanations,  we  pray  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  inform  us  if  we  will  be  well  received,  according  to  the 
rights  of  war. 

We  have  the  honor,  with  this  motive,  to  assure  your  lordship  of 
our  consideration  and  particular  esteem. 
God  and  liberty. 

PABLO  DE  LA  GUERRA, 
JOSE  M.  FLORES. 
To  the  COMMANDER- IN  CHIEF 

Of  the  naval  forces  of  the  United  States, 

in  the  road  of  San,  Pedro.. 


[31]  4 

UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Bay  of  San  Pedro,  August  7,  1846. 

GENTLEMEN:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  note  of  August  7,  asking  "  if  you  will  be  well  received,  ac 
cording  to  the  rights  of  war,"  and,  in  reply,  have  to  inform  you 
that  you  will  be  so  received. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commander-in-chief,  #c.,  #c.?  fyc. 
To  PABLO  DE  LA  GUERRA  and  JOSE  M.  FLORES, 

Commissioners. 


[Translation.] 

Commandant cy  General  of  Upper  California. 

MEXICAN  ARMY — DIVISION  OF  OPERATIONS, 
Head-quarters  in  the  Mesa,  August  7,  1846. 

The  undersigned,  commandant  general  and  chief  of  the  division 
of  operations  in  this  department,  has  the  honor  to  direct  himself  to 
the  commander- in- chief  of  the  United  States  naval  forces  anchored 
in  the  road  of  San  Pedro,  asking  explanations  on  the  conduct  that 
he  proposes  to  follow.  Since  knowing  that  he  wishes  to  enter  into 
conferences  on  what  is  most  convenient  to  the  interests  of  both 
countries,  the  undersigned  cannot  see  with  serenity  one  pretecd, 
with  flattering  expressions  of  peace,  and  without  the  formality  that 
war  between  polished  nations  permits,  to  make  an  invasion  in  the 
terms  that  your  lordship  has  verified  it. 

Wishing,  then,  (de  amenda,)  with  the  governor,  to  avoid  all  the 
disasters  that  follow  a  war  like  that  which  your  lordship  prepares, 
it  has  appeared  convenient  to  the  undersigned  to  send  to  your 
lordship  a  commission,  composed  of  Messrs.  Jose  M.  Flores  and 
Pablo  de  la  Guerra,  to  know  the  wishes  of  your  lordship,  under 
the  conception  that  whatever  conference  may  take  place,  it  must 
be  on  the  base  that  all  hostile  movements  must  be  suspended  by 
both  forces,  since,  on  the  contrary,  there  will  not  be  negotiations. 

The  undersigned  has  the  honor  to  offer  to  the  commander  of  the 
naval  forces  of  the  United  States  the  assurances  of  his  considera 
tion  and  particular  esteem. 

God  and  liberty. 

JOSE  CASTRO. 
To  the  COMMANDER  IN  CHIEF 

Of  the  naval  forces  of  the  United  States, 

in  the  road  of  San  Pedro. 


5  [31] 

UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Bay  of  San  Pedro,  August  7,  1846. 

GENERAL:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter,  and  with  you  deplore  the  war  which  is  now  waging  between 
Mexico  and  the  United  States.  I  do  not  desire  to  do  more  than 
my  duty  calls  upon  me  to  do. 

I  do  not  wish  to  war  against  California  or  her  people;  but  as  she 
is  a  department  of  Mexico,  I  must  war  against  her  until  she  ceases 
to  be  a  part  of  the  Mexican  territory.  This  is  my  plain  duty. 

I  cannot,  therefore,  check  my  operations  to  negotiate  on  any 
other  principle  than  that  California  will  declare  her  independence 
under  the  protection  of  the  flag  of  the  United  States. 

If,  therefore,  you  will  agree  to  hoist  the  American  flag  in  Cali 
fornia,  I  will  stop  my  forces  and  negotiate  the  treaty. 

Your  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commander  in-chief,  fyc. 
To  General  JOSE  CASTRO, 

Commandant  general  of  Upper  California. 


[Translation.] 
CoMMANDANTCY  GENERAL  OF  ALTA  CALIFORNIA, 

Camp  of  the  Mesa,  August  10,  1846. 

With  inexpressible  surprise  I  have  informed  myself  of  your  an 
swer,  given  to  my  official  note  relative  to  explanations  asked  with 
respect  to  the  conduct  which  you  propose  to  follow  in  the  invasion 
which  the  naval  and  land  forces  of  the  United  -States,  under  your 
command,  have  perpetrated  this  day  in  this  department,  under  my 
command.  The  insidious  contents  of  that  note,  and  the  degrading 
proposition  which  it  involved,  has  placed  me  in  the  situation  of  re 
producing  to  you  the  last  of  my  communications,  on  account  of  its 
being  thus  required  by  the  national  arms  committed  to  my  care, 
what  I  represent,  and  to  prove  to  you  to  what  degree  I  am  dispo 
sed  to  sacrifice  myself  to  preserve  without  stain  the  position  I 
hold. 

Granted  that  war  exists  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico, 
and  that  you,  in  your  duty,  carry  it  on  in  this  department,  which 
is  a  part  of  its  territory;  I,  as  a  chief  of  Mexico,  and  of  the  forces 
which  are  under  my  command,  am  resolved  to  defend  its  integrity 
at  all  hazards,  and  to  repel  an  aggression  which,  like  yours,  has  no 
example  in  the  civilized  world — and  morej  if  one  attends  to  that, 
yet  there  is  no  expressed  declaration  of  war  between  both  nations. 

You  say  you  cannot  stop  your  operations  to  negotiate  under  any 
principle  other  than  that  California  should  declare  her  indepen 
dence  under  the  protection  of  the  flag  of  the  United  States. 

Never  shall  I  consent  to  commit  such  a  low  act;  but,  supposing 
that  I  should  intend  it,  I  would  not  do  it  under  the  degrading  con- 


[31] 


6 


ditions  which  you  propose.  And  what  would  be  her  liberty  with 
that  protection,  offered  her  at  the  muzzle  of  the  cannon  ?  I  do  not 
understand  it;  but  be  assured  that  while  she  exists,  I  will  take 
care  that  this  part  of  the  Mexican  republic,  in  which  I  first  saw 
the  light,  does  not  seal  in  this  mode  her  disgrace  and  slavery. 

Still  more,  you  believing,  without  doubt,  that  not  a  drop  of  Mex 
ican  blood  circulates  in  my  veins,  and  that  I  am  ignorant  of  my 
attributes,  you  offer  me  the  most  shameful  of  your  propositions, 
which  is  to  hoist  the  American  flag  in  this  department  of  my  com 
mand.  Never,  never,  never.  Much  could  I  say  to  you  in  this 
respect;  and  permit  me  only  to  ask,  what  would  you  do,  were  the 
proposition  reversed  ? 

Lastly,  commodore,  I  repeat,  I  will  not  withhold  any  sacrifice 
to  oppose  your  intentions;  and  if,  through  misfortune,  the  flag  of 
the  United  States  waves  in  California,  it  will  not  be  by  my  acqui 
escence,  nor  by  that  of  the  last  of  my  compatriots;  and  only  if  I 
*  *  *  *  to  force  and  by  force,  in  the  conception  that  I  protest 
solemnly,  before  the  whole  world,  against  the  means  which  have 
been  practised,  or  may  be  practised  hereafter,  to  withdraw  this  de 
partment  from  the  Mexican  union,  to  which*  flag  I  wish  to  belong; 
making  you  responsible  for  all  the  evils  and  misfortunes  that  may 
be  occasioned  in  a  war  so  unjust  as  that  which  will  be  declared 
against  this  Pacific  department. 

I  have  the  honor  to  pay  to  you  the  homage  of  my  particular 
esteem. 

God  and  liberty. 

JOSE  CASTRO. 
To  the  COMMODORE  of  the 

Naval  forces  of  the  United  States  of  America 

in  the  Pacific,  and  at  anchor  in  the  road  of  San  Pedro. 


Copy  and  translation  of  a  letter  from  Rafael  Felles,  military  com 
mandant- of  Mazatlan,  to  General  Jose  Castro,  military  comman 
dant  of  California. 

MAZATLAN,  August  8,  1846.  - 

DEAR  SIR  AND  ESTEEMED  FRIEND:  Only  with  the  object  of  send 
ing  you  my  friendly  remembrances  I  take  advantage  of  the  depar 
ture  of  the  brig  Republican,  for  your  port;  her  captain,  D.  Antonio 
Vico,  is  a  friend;  I  recommend  him  to  you  very  particularly. 

I  have  learned  with  true  grief  that  the  perfidious  Yankees  have 
taken  possession  of  or  invaded  this  department;  which  fatal  event 
must  keep  you,  as  well  as  all  good  Mexicans  of  that  territory,  in 
the  greatest  agony.  But  there  is  no  despair;  for,  although  at  pre 
sent  Mexicans  disagree  in  consequence  of  the  bad  administration 
of  General  Paredes,  soon  I  believe  the  cause  of  discord  will  cease, 
and  all  will  unite  to  recognize  our  rights  and  to  overthrow  the  in 
solent  usurper  of  the  north. 

Unfortunately  there  are  among  us  some  selfish  people,  who,  being 


*  [31] 

unworthy  of  the  trust  reposed  in  them,  only  seek  their  own  advan 
tage;  for  example,  the  Messrs.  Castanares,  representatives  of  the 
CaliJ'ornias.  These  two  personages  have  only  endeavored  to  draw 
private  advantages  from  the  commission  entrusted  to  them;  and, 
perhaps,  they  would  have  already  gone  to  that  department  to  col 
lect  the  fruits  of  their  perfidious  machinations,  if  I,  who  know 
them,  and  feel  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  that  country,  had  not 
prevented  them  as  much  as  it  was  possible — as  I  shall  continue  so 
to  do.  And  I  assure  you  that,  if  the  revolution  in  which  I  find 
myself  plunged,  triumphs,  the  Californians  can  trust  they  will  not 
have  the  sorrow  again  to.  see  on  their  shores  those  wicked  men,  nor 
any  others  that  may  resemble  them.  And  had  it  not  been  that  Car- 
melita  Soberanes  wished  to  take  a  companion  of  her  bosom,  I  would 
not  have  ever  permitted  the  return  of  Donna  Anita  Gonsalez  to  the 
country  she  has  scandalized  by  her  conduct. 

'In  fine,  perhaps  soon  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  marching  to 
that  country;  in  the  mean  time,  placing  myself  at  the  feet  of  your 
lady,  dispose  as  you  please  of  your  affectionate  friend,  faithful  ser 
vant,  &c«,  &c. 

RAFAEL  FELLES. 
To  Lieut.  Col.  JOSE  CASTRO. 



. 

ClUDAD  DE  LOS  ANGELES,  August  31,   1846. 

SIR:  I  herewith  enclose  to  you,  your  commission  as  military 
commandant  of  this  department. 

Martial  law  will  continue  in  force  throughout  the  whole  terri 
tory,  until  otherwise  ordered  by  the  governor  of  the  same. 

Notwithstanding,  however,  the  existence  of  martial  law,  you 
will  permit  the  civil  officers  of  the  government  to  proceed  in  the 
exercise  of  their  proper  functions,  nor  will  you  interfere  with 
their  duties,  except  in  cases  where  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  ter 
ritory  requires  your  aid  or  interference. 

You  will  take  care  that  my  proclamation  of  the  17th  be  strictly 
observed  throughout  this  department,  except  as  to  those  persons 
who  may  be  exempted  by  your  written  order  from  the  operation  of 
its  provisions. 

You  are  authorized,  whenever  it  can  be  prudently  done,  to  give 
written  permission  to  persons  known  to  be  friendly,  to  the  govern 
ment  to  be  out  themselves,  and  to  send  their  servants  out  before 
sunrise  in  the  morning. 

You  are  likewise  authorized,  to  grant  permission  where  you  see 
fit,  to  persons  known  to  be  friendly  to  carry  arms  with  them, 
whenever  it  appears  to  you  they  stand  in.  need  of  them  for  their 
own  or  their  servant's  protection. 

I  enclose  to  you,  also,  some  blank  commissions  for  prefects  and 
alcaldes, that  in  case  the  people  should  fail  to  elect  either  of  those 
officers  within  the  jurisdiction  of  this  department,  you  may  fill  up 
the  blank  with  the  name  of  some  one  you  may  think  is  qualified 
and  will  accept  the  office,  affixing  the  date  thereto,  and  transmit- 


[31]  8 

ting  to  me  at  San  Francisco  by  the  first  opportunity,  the  name  and 
date  of  all  appointments  made  by  you. 

Whenever  opportunity  offers  you  will  write  to  me,  as  to  the 
state  of  the  country,  and  the  feelings  of  the  people  within  this 
department. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Governor  and  Commander-in-chief. 
To  Captain  A.  H.  GILLESPIE,    . 

Military  commandant  of  the  southern  department. 

P.  S. — Sent  that  you  may  see  how  I  have  tempered  the  rigors 
of  indispensable  military  law,  with  the  appliances  of  peace. 

R.  F.  S. 


Organization  of  the  army  of  California. 
GENERAL  ORDER. 

Besides  the  governor  and  commander  in  chief,  there  will  be  from 
this  day  a  military  commandant  of  the  territory  of  California, 
whose  duty  it  will  be  to  superintend  and  direct  all  the  military 
operations  in  the  territory,  according  to  the  directions  that  he  may 
from  time  to  time  receive  from  the  governor,  to  whom  he  will  re 
port  all  his  proceedings.  The  territory  will  hereafter  be  divided 
into  three  military  departments,  to  each  of  which  will  be  appoint 
ed  a  military  commandant,  who  will  receive  instructions  from,  and 
be  responsible  to,  the  military  commandant  of  the  territory. 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Governor  and  commander-in-chief  of  the 

territory  of  California. 
CIUDAD  DE  LOS  ANGELES,  Sept.  2,  1846. 


CIRCULAR. 

^  You  are  hereby  advised  that  war  exists  between  the  United 
States  of  North  America  and  Mexico,  and  are  cautioned  to  guard 
against  an  attack  from  Mexican  privateers,  and  all  vessels  under 
the  Mexican  flag. 

The  territory  of  California  has  been  taken  possession  of  by  the 
forces  under  my  command,  and  now  belongs  to  the  United  States, 
arfd  you  will  find  safe  anchorage  and  protection  in  the  harbor  of 
San  Franeisco  during  any  season  of  the  year. 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodorej  fyc. 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS. 


•» 


9  [  31  ] 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 
Bay  of  Monterey,  Sept.  19,  1846. 

SIR:  I  am  informed  by  express  from  Commander  Montgomery, 
at  San  Francisco,  that  Suter's  fort,  on  the  Sacramento,  is  threat 
ened  by  a  thousand  Indians  from  the  Oregon,  of  the  Wallow  Wal 
low  tribe. 

The  cause  of  their  hostility  appears  to  be  this:  about  a  year 
since  one  of  their  chiefs  was  deliberately  murdered  at  Suter*s  fort 
by  a  man  named  Cook. 

*The  Erie  is  under  way,  and  I  have  only  time  to- say,  that  I  shall 
go  after  them  immediately  with  the  crews  of  this  ship  and  the  Sa 
vannah,  and  I  will  give  them  satisfaction  or  a  fight. 

Will  you  please  to  send  to  me  by  Mr.  Norris  a  good  spy-glass. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore,  fyc. 
To  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C. 


No.  8. 

SAN  DIEGO,  Head-quarters  of,  fyc.,  fyc., 
November  23,  1846. 

SIR:  By  the  celebrated  Mexican  armed  brig  "Malek  Adhel,n 
which  was  captured  and  taken  out  of  the  harbor  of  Mazatlan  by 
the  boats  of  the  U.  S.  ship  Warren,  I  have  the  honor  to  send  this 
despatch  for  you  as  far  as  Mazatlan,  and  to  say  that  several  other 
vessels,  perhaps  thirteen  or  fourteen,  have  been  captured  by  the 
Cyane  and  Warren,  official  reports  of  which,  however,  have  not 
yet  reached  me;  but  I  have  reason  to  hope  and  believe  that  every 
vessel  by  which  our  commerce  in  this  ocean  could  probably  be  in 
terrupted  has  been  captured  by  Commander  Hull,  in  the  Warren, 
or  Commander  Dupont,  in  the  Cyane. 

Those  officers  deserve  praise  for  the  manner  in  which  they  have 
blockaded  and  watched  the  Mexican  coast  during  the  most  incle 
ment  season  of  the  year. 

The  enclosed  letters,  from  No.  1  to  4,  will  acquaint  you  with 
the  position  of  the  squadron  and  the  affairs  of  this  territory,  as 
well  as  with  my  intentions  in  regard  to  the  further  prosecution  of 
the  war  up  to  the  30th  September— when  the  intelligence  reached 
me  that  all  the  Mexican  officers  in  the  territory,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  one  or  two,  had  violated  their  oaths,  and  again  taken  up 
arms  against  the  United  States,  with  which  insurrection,  and  the 
consequent  alteration  of  all  my  preconcerted  plans,  it  will  be  the 
further  object  of  this  despatch  to  make  you  acquainted. 

The  war  in  California  being,  as  I  supposed,  at  an  end,  and  hav 
ing  ordered  the  other  ships  of  the  squadron  to  the  coast  of  Mexico,> 
there  to  await  my  arrival,  I  was  about  to  transfer  the  government 


[31] 


10 


of  California  to^other  hands,  and  to  sail  as  soon  as  possible  in  the 
Congress  for  Acapulco,  where  I  expected  to  land  and  lend  our  aid 
to  the  war  in  that  part  of  Mexico,  when  I  was  informed  by  express 
that  the  Mexican  officers  had  violated  their  oaths,  and  commenced 
anew  the  war  by  a  midnight  attack  on  the  party  of  fifty  men  left 
at  Ciudad  de  los  Angeles. 

The  enclosed  proclamation  No.  5,  signed  by  Jose  Ma  Flores,  a 
captain  in  the  Mexican  army,  and  on  parole,  will  give  you  some 
idea  of  the  disposition  of  those  depraved  men. 

At  this  time  Major  Fremont  had  gone  to  the  Sacramento  to  en 
list  men  for  me  to  take  to  Acapulco.  I  immediately  sent  to  him 
to  come  to  San  Francisco,  with  as  many  men  and  saddles  as  he 
could  get  to  embark  in  the  slrp  Sterling,  that  we  might  by  prompt 
action  surprise  the  enemy  at  Santa  Barbara,  only  three  days  march 
from  de  los  Angeles;  whilst  I  would  go  directly  to  San  Pedro  and 
march  to  the  city,  where  I  would  certainly  be  able  to  calculate 
within  a  day  or  two  the  time  I  would  receive  his  co-operation. 

Whilst  the  necessary  preparations  were  making  to  carry  out  this 
plan  of  surprise,  and  at  once  to  put  down  the  insurrection,  I  or 
dered  the  Savannah  (then  under  sailing  orders  for  the  coast  of 
Mexico,)  to  go  immediately  to  San  Pedro,  and  afford  all  the  aid  in 
her  power  to  our  little  garrison  at  the  city. 

I  left  San  Francisco  in  company  with  the  Sterling,  but  having 
crossed  the  bar  before  her,  I  hove  too  till  she  came  out,  and  then 
I'  steered  with  a  fair  wind  down  along  the  coast;  on  our  way  we 
spoke  the  ship  Barnstable  from  Monterey  with  despatches  from  the 
commanding  officer  there,  stating  that  Monterey  would  probably 
be  attacked,  and  that  he  required  immediate  reinforcement;  I  went 
immediately  to  Montery,  leaving  the  Sterling  with  a  fair  wind  on 
her  way  to  Santa  Barbara. 

I  arrived  the  next  day  at  Monterey  and  landed  two  officers, 
Messrs.  Baldwin  and  Johnston,  with  fifty  men  and  three  pieces  of 
artillery;  and  having  fortified  the  town  against  any  probable  force 
in  California,  I  left  for  San  Pedro,  looking  into  Santa  Barbara  as 
I  passed  to  see  how  the  Sterling  made  out;  but  she  had  not  arrived, 
although  she  ought  to  have  been  there  several  days  previous. 

I  passed  on  to  San  Pedro,  where  I  found  the  Savannah.  Captain 
Mervine,  commander  of  the  Savannah,  informed  me  that  on  his 
arrival  there,  he  found  on  board  of  the  ship  Vandalia  the  party  of 
volunteers  who  had  been  besieged  at  the  Pueblo,  and  to  whose  as 
sistance  he  had  been  despatched,  but  who  had  been  permitted  by 
treaty  to  retire  with  their  arms  on  board  of  this  vessel — that  about 
two  weeks  before  my  arrival,  he  had  landed  with  his  men  and 
the  abovementioned  volunteers  and  marched  for  the  city,  that  he 
met  a  body  of  mounted  men  with  a  field  piece,  with  whom  he  had 
an  engagement,  that  he  had  not  taken  any  artillery  with  him,  and 
they  had  driven  him  back  to  his  ship,  with  the  loss  of  four  men 
killed  and  some  wounded,  and  that  he  had  remained  on  board  since 
that  time  waiting  for  me. 

He  says  that  his  officers  and  men  behaved  well — that  they  made 
several  efforts  to  take  the  field  piece  from  the  enemy,  but  they 


11  [  31  ] 

could  not  overtake  it.  In  truth,  nothing  short  of  a  locomotive  en 
gine  can  catch  them  well  mounted  fellows. 

I  did  not  like  this  proceeding  or  its  probable  consequences;  but 
I  have  no  more  to  say  about  it  at  present.  Elated  by  this  transient 
success,  which  the  enemy,  with  his  usual  want  of  veracity,  magni 
fied  into  a  great  victory,  they  collected  in  large  bodies  on  all  the 
adjacent  hills,  and  would  not  permit  a  hoof  except  their  own  horses 
to  be  within  fifty  miles  of  San  Pedro. 

I  had,  however,  agreed  to  land  there,  to  be  in  readiness  to  co 
operate  with  the  forces  under  Major  Fremont  expected  from  Santa 
Barbara;  anu  therefore  determined  to  do  so  in  the  face  of  their 
boasting  insolence,  and  there  again  to  hoist  the  glorious  stars  in 
the  presence  of  their  horse  covered  hills. 

Orders  were  accordingly  given  to  prepare  to  land  the  troops  in 
the  morning,  and  a  party  of  the  volunteers,  as  you  will  see  by  a 
general  order  here  enclosed,  and  marked  No.  6,  were  ordered  to 
land  before  day-light,  to  cover  the  general  landing  which  was  to 
b.emade  up  a  very  steep  bank  and  in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 

The  volunteers  failed  to  land  in  time,  in  consequence  of  a  fan 
cied  force  of  the  enemy;  not  so  with  the  sailors  and  marines,  who 
.were  ready  in  the  boats  alongside  of  the  two  ships,  and  who,  as 
soon  as  I  discovered  that  the  volunteers  had  not  succeeded,  I  or 
dered  to  land.  The  boats  of  the  Savannah  were  under  the  imme 
diate  command  of  Captain  Mervine;  those  of  the  Congress  un 
der  the  immediate  command  of  Lieutenant  Commandant  Livings 
ton,  and  performed  the  service  in  a  most  gallant  manner,  being 
myself  present. 

On  our  approach  to  the  shore,  the  enemy  fired  a  few  muskets 
without  harm  and  fled;  we  took  possession,  and  once  more  hoisted 
our  flag  at  San  Pedro.  General  order,  marked  No.  7,  will  show 
you  how  I  estimated  the  conduct  of  the  troops  at  the  time. 

The  troops  remained  encamped  at  that  place  for  several  days 
before  the  insurgents,  who  covered- the  adjacent  hills,  and  until 
both  officers  and  men  had  become  almost  worn  out  by  chasing  and 
skirmishing  with  and  watching  them,  and  until  I  had  given  up  all 
hope  of  the  co-operation  of  Major  Fremont.  Besides,  the  enemy 
had  driven  off  every  animal,  man,  and  beast,  from  that  section  of 
the  country,  and  it  was  not  possible,  by  any  means  in  our  power, 
to  carry  provisions  for  our  march  to  the  city. 

I  resolved,  therefore,  to  embark  the  troops,  and  waste  no  more 
time  there,  but  to  go  down  south,  and  if  possible,  to  get  animals 
somewhere  along  the  coast,  before  the  enemy  could  know  or  pre 
vent  it,  and  to  mount  my  own  men,  and  march  to  the  city  by  the 
southern  route. 

I  left  the  Savannah  to  look  out  for  Major  Fremont,  and  taking  the 
volunteers  on  board  of  the  Congress,  proceeded  down  the  coast, 
as  far  as  San  Diego,  where  Lieutenant  Minor  was  in  command. 

Two  days  after  my  arrival  at  San  Diego,  the  "  Malek  Adhel  " 
arrived  from  Monterey,  with  despatches  from  Major  Fremont,  in 
which  he  says:  "  We  met  the  Vandalia  with  information  of  the  oc 
currences  below.  Mr.'  Howard  represented  that  the  enemy  had 


[  31  ]  12 

driven  off  all  the  horses  and  cattle,  so  that  it  would  be  impossible 
to  obtain  either,  for  transportation  or  supplies.  Under  the  cir 
cumstances,  and  in  virtue  of  the  discretionary  authority  you  have 
given  me,  I  judged  it  of  paramount  necessity  to  haul  up  im 
mediately  for  this  port,  with  the  intention  t©  send  for  all  the  men 
who  could  be  raised  in  the  north,  and  for  the  band  of  horses  which 
I  had  left  on  the  Cosumne.  In  the  meantime  we  should  be  able 
to  check  the  insurrection  here,  and  procure  horses  and  supplies,  so 
as  to  be  in  readiness  to  march  to  the  southward  immedietely  on  the 
arrival  of  our  reinforcements." 

On  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  having  arranged  with  Lieutenant 
Minor  to  send  a  vessel  down  the  coast  for  horses  and  cattle,  I  re 
turned  to  San  Pedro,  and  sent  the  Savannah  back  to  Monterey,  to 
facilitate  as  far  as  1  could  the  preparations  of  Major  Fremont. 

On  my  return  ,to  San  Diego,  I  found  that  the  expedition  south 
had  been  successful,  that  the  party  had  obtained  about  sixty  useful 
horses,  two  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  five  hundred  sheep. 

On  the  afternoon  of  our  arrival,  the  enemy,  irritated,  I  suppose, 
by  the  loss  of  his  animals,  came  down  in  considerable  force  and 
made  an  attack;  they  were,  however,  soon  driven  back,  with  the 
loss  of  two  men  and  horses  killed,  and  four  wounded.  Those 
skirmishes,  or  running  fights,  are  of  almost  daily  occurrence;  since 
we  have  been  here,  we  have  lost,  as  yet,  but  one  man  killed,  and 
one  wounded. 

One  hundred  more  horses  will  enable  me  to  mount  some  of  my 
own  men,  and  before  long,  I  expect  to  be  a  general  of  dragoons^ 
as  well  as  commodore,  governor ,  and  commander  in- cheif. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  this  despatch,  that  you  may  see 
that  all  that  unflinching  labor  and  perseverance  on  my  part,  and 
inflexible  patriotism  and  courage  on  the  part  of  my  officers  and 
men  could  do  to  suppress  this  rebellion,  has  been  done;  and  that, 
although  we  may  still  be,  for  some  time,  annoyed  by  those  daily 
skirmishes,  yet  the  rebels  cannot,  in  all  probability,  much  longer 
avert  the  doom  that  awaits  them. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON. 

To  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C. 


No.  1. 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 
Harbor  of  San  Francisco,  September  30,  1846. 

SIR:  You  will,  as  soon  as  you  are  ready,  proceed  to  sea  under 
your  sealed  orders,  with  this  modification,  however.  You  will,  on 
falling  in  with  the  Cyane,  send  her  immediately  to  San  Francisco^ 
instead  of  detaining  her  on  the  coast  as  heretofore  directed. 


13  [  31  ] 

The  Congress  and  Cyane  will,  by  this  arrangement,  it  is  expected, 
be  ready  to  relieve  the  Savannah  and  Portsmouth. 

If  despatches  from  the  government  should  arrive  at  Mazatlan 
between  this  and  the  first  of  December,  you  will  open  them;  and  if 
notice  of  peace,  you  will  leave  copies  of  the. despatches  at  Mazat 
lan  for  me,  in  case  I  should  arrive  there  after  you  have  left,  and 
come  to  San  Francisco  and  prepare  the  Savannah  to  return  to  the 
United  States. 

If  Mr.  Norris  should  arrive  from  the  United  States  at  Mazatlan 
before  I  reach  there,  you  will  bring  him  in  the  Savannah  or  send 
him  in  the  Portsmouth  as  soon  as  possible  to  this  place,  without 
opening  the  despatches.  The  enclosed  letter  contains  a  despatch 
for  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  You  will  please  to  make  every  ex 
ertion,  without  regard  to  expense,  to  get  it  forwarded  by  Mr.  Mott, 
or  some  one  else. 

You  will  also  draw  for  the  use  of  this  squadron  any  sum  of 
money,  not  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  that  you  may 
be  enabled  to  get  at  Mazatlan. 

Please  to  seal  the  letter  to  Mott,  Talbot  &  Co.  before  you  deli 
ver  it;  I  leave  it  open  in  case  you  should  find  it  best  to  deliver  the 
despatch  to  other  hands. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commodore,  4rc. 

To  Captain  WM.  MERVINE, 

U.  S.  Frigate  Savannah,  harbor  of  San  Francisco. 


No.  2. 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 
Harbor  of  San  Francisco,  October  1,  1846. 

SIR:  On  my  arrival  here  with  the  Congress  and  Savannah  in  pur 
suit  of  the  Wallow  Wallow  Indians,  I  was  glad  to  find  that  their 
numbers  had  been  greatly  exaggerated,  and  that  they  were  friendly 
disposed. 

I  have  a  message  from  the  chief,  stating  tLat  he  was  friendly  and 
would  come  down  to  see  me. 

I  will  send  the  Savannah  on  her  cruise  to-morrow,  and  the 
Portsmouth  in  a  few  days;  and  will  follow  myself  in  the  Congress 
as  soon  as  I  can,  (if  not  sooner  superseded  by  Commodore  Biddle,) 
to  carry  out  my  views  in  regard  to  Mexico,  with  which  I  have  not 
thought  it  necessary  or  expedient  yet  to  acquaint  the  department. 

Our  new  government  goes  on  well;  I  am  arranging  for  a  weekly 
mail  from  one  end  of  the  territory  to  the  other;  it  will  not,  I  think, 
cost  over  three  or  four  thousand  dollars  per  annum-,  which  will  be 
less  expensive  than  the  necessary  expenses  to  keep  one  properly 
informed  in  regard  to  every  part  of  the  territory. 

If  any  chance  is  given,  I  have  no  doubt  an  effort , will  be  made 
by  the  Mexicans  to  recover  the  territory;  troops  are  ready  to  come 


[31] 


14 


from  Mexico,  but  if  they  are  not  seen  on  their  way,  I'll  make  them 
fight  their  first  battle  at  Acapulco,  or  between  that  and  the  city  of 
Mexico. 

I  have  not,  it  is  true,  a  great  force,  but   their  enthusiasm  and 
impetuosity  must  make  up  the  want  of  numbers. 
Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commodore j  fyc. 

To  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C. 


No.  3. 

• 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGBESS, 
Bay  of  Monterey,  September  19,  1846. 

[CONFIDENTIAL.] 

DEAR  SIR:  I  have  sent  Major  Fremont  to  the  north  to  see  how 
many  men  he  could  recruit,  with  a  view  to  embark  them  for  Ma- 
zatlan  or  Acapulco;  where,  if  possible,  I  intend  to  land  and  fight 
our  way  as  far  on  to  the  city  of  Mexico  as  I  can. 

With  this  object  in  view,  your  orders  of  this  date  in  relation  to 
having  the  squadron  in  such  places  as  may  enable  me  to  get  them 
together  as  soon  as  possible,  are  giv.en. 

You  will,  on  your  arrival  on  the  coast,  get  all  the  information 
you  can  in  reference  to  this  matter. 

I  would  that  we  might  shake  hands  with  General  Taylor  at  the 
gates  of  Mexico. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore,  fyc. 

To  Captain  WM.  MERVINE, 

17.  S.  Frigate  Savannah. 


No.  4. 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 
Harbor  of  San  Francisco,  September  28,  1846, 

[PRIVATE  ] 

SIR:  I  am  here  anxious  to  know  what  prospect  there  is  of  your 
being  able  to  recruit  my  thousand  men,  for  a  visit  to  Mexico. 

Let  me  know  as   soon  as  possible,  many  serious  arrangements 


16  [31] 

will  have  to  be  made,  all  requiring  more  or  less  time,  which,  you 
know  in  war,  is  more  precious  than  "rubies." 

Your  faithful  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

m    \ir  •      n  Governor,  fyc. 

To  Major  FREMONT, 

Military  Commandant  of  the 

Territory  of  California. 


No.  5. 
PROCLAMATION  OF  JOSE  MA  FLORES. 

MEXICAN  ARMY,  SECTION  OF  OPERATIONS. 
ANGELES,  October  1,  1846. 

FELLOW  CITIZENS:  It  is  a  month  and  a  half  that,  by  lamentable 
fataluy,  fruit  of  the  cowardice  and  inability  of  the  first  authorities 
of  the  department,  we  behold  ourselves  subjugated  and  oppressed 
by  an  insignificant  force  of  adventurers  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  placing  us  in  a  worse  condition  than  that  of  slaves 

They  are  dictating  to  us  despotic  and  arbitrary  laws,  and  load 
ing  us  with  contributions  and  onerous    burdens,  which  have  for  an 
object  the  ruin  of  our  industry  and  agricultuje,  and  to  force  us  to 
abandon  our  property  to  be  possessed    and   divided    among   them 
selves. 

And  shall  we  be  capable  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  subjugated  and 
to  accept,  by  our  silence,  the  weighty  chains  of  slavery?  Shall 
we  permit  to  be  lost  the  soil  inherited  from  our  fathers,  which  cost 
them  so  much  blood  and  so  many  sacrifices?  Shall  we  make  our 
families  victims  of  the  most  barbarous  slavery?  Shall  we  wait  to 
see  our  wives  violated— our  innocent  children  punished  by  the 
American  whips— our  property  sacked— our  temples  profaned— 
and,  lastly,  to  drag  through  an  existence  full  of  insult  and  shame? 
No!  a  thousand  times  no!  Countrymen,  first  death! 

Who  of  you  does  not  feel  his  heart  beat  with  violence;  who  does 
not  feel  his  blood  boil,  to  contemplate  our  situation;  and  who  will 
be  the  Mexican  who  will  not  feel  indignant,  and  who  will  not  rise 
to  take  up  arms  to  destroy  our  oppressors?  We  believe  there  is 
not  one  so  vile  and  cowardly.  With  such  a  motive  the  majority 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  districts,  justly  indignant  against  our 
tyrants,  raise  the  cry  of  war,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  of  one 
accord  swear  to  sustain  the  following  articles: 

1st.  We,  the  inhabitants  of  the  department  of  California  as 
members  of  the  great  Mexican  nation,  declare  that  it  is,  and 'has 
been*  our  wish  to  belong  to  her  alone,  free  and  independent. 

2nd.  Consequently  the  authorities  intended  and  named  by  th« 
invading  forces  of  the  United  States  are  held  null  and  void. 

3rd.  All  the   North   Americans,  being  enemies   of  Mexico,  we 


[  31  ]  16 

swear  not  to  lay  down  our  arms,  till  they  are  expelled  from  the 
Mexican  territory. 

4th.  All  Mexican  citizens,  from  the  age  of  15  to  60,  who  do  not 
take  up  arms  to  forward  the  present  plan,  are  declared  traitors  and 
under  pain  of  death. 

5th.  Every  Mexican  or  foreigner  who  may  directly  or  indirectly 
aid  the  enemies  of  Mexico  will  be  punished  in  the  same  manner. 

6th.  The  property  of  the  North  Americans  in  the  department, 
who  may  have  directly  or  indirectly  taken  part  with,  or  aided  the 
enemies,  shall  be  confiscated  and  used  for  the  expenses  of  the  war; 
and  their  persons  shall  be  taken  to  the  interior  of  the  republic. 

7th.  All  those  who  may  oppose  the  present  plan  will  be  pun 
ished  with  arms. 

8th.  All  the  inhabitants  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  the  district  of  the 
north,  will  be  invited  immediately  to  adhere  to  the  present  plan. 

CAMP  IN  ANGELES,  September  24,  1846. 

Servalo  Barelas,  Leonardo  Cota.  [The  signatures  of  more  than 
300  persons.] 

JOSE  MA  FLORES. 


No.  6. 

GENERAL   ORDER. 

. 

UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Off  San  Pedro,  October  26,  1816. 

Captain  Gillespie,  with  fifty  men,  will  be  landed  at  4  o'clock, 
a.  m.,  to-morrow,  to  surprise  the  enemy. 

The  oars  of  the  boats  must  be  muffled,  and  the  men  pull  without 
the  least  noise,  and  perfect  silence  must  be  observed. 

If  Captain  Gillespie  requires  aid,  he  will  fire  a  rocket,  when  the 
boats  of  the  ships  will  be  ready  to  go  to  his  assistance. 

If  Captain  Gillespie  meets  no  opposition  in  taking  possession  of 
the  houses,  he  will  conceal  his  force  so  as  to  shoot  any  spies  that 
may  venture  inside  of  rifle  range  (never  shooting  too  quick)  to  op 
pose  the  landing  of  the  troops. 

If  Captain  Gillespie  does  not  require  assistance,  the  rest  of  the 
troops  will  not  land  until  after  breakfast,  which  will  be  taken  at 
7  o'clock,  and  the  forces  prepared  to  disembark  at  half  past  eight 
o'clock,  when  a  signal  to  that  effect  is  made. 

Captain  Gillespie  will  keep  his  position  until  the  troop^  are 
landed,  when  he  will  return  on  board  to  breakfast. 

If  the  troops  are  required  to  land  before  breakfast,  the  force 
from  the  fiigate  Savannah  will  be  commanded  by  Captain  Mervine; 
those  from  the  Congress  by  Lieutenant  Commandant  Livingston. 


17  [  31  ] 

The  commander-in- chief  intends  to  lead  on  the  attack,  if  there 
be  one,  in  person. 

By  order  of  the  commander-in-chief. 

J.  ZEILIN, 
Brevet  captain  and  adjutant. 


No.  7. 
GENERAL  ORDER. 

UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Bay  of  San  Pedro,  October  28,  1846. 

The  commander-in-chief  commends  the  determined  courage  with 
which  the  officers,  sailors,  and  marines  landed,  (in  despite  of  the 
false  alarm  as  to  the  enemy's  force)  and  again  hoisted  the  Ameri 
can  standard  at  San  Pedro. 

The  important  duties  of  the  commander-in-chief,  and  the  entire 
want  of  camp  equipage,  or  other  necessary  accommodation,  require 
him  whilst  the  troops  are  in  camp  on  the  beach,  to  retain  his  head 
quarters  on  board  of  the  ship;  but,  brave  comrades,  be  assured 
that  he  will  superintend  and  direct  all  your  operations,  and  when 
in  danger  he  will  be,  as  he  was  yesterday  morning,  in  the  midst  of 
you. 

Every  officer  and  man  must  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to 
march  to  the  Puebla  to  support  Major  Fremont's  volunteers,  or  to 
go  on  board  of  ship  to  the  relief  of  our  gallant  brothers  in  arms 
at  San  Diego  and  Monterey,  who  are  threatened  with  an  attack 
by  overwhelming  forces. 

Brave  men,  however  various  and  different  your  duties  may  be, 
the  commander-in-chief  is  satisfied  you  will  give  the  most  willing 
aid  to  all  his  operations  in  defence  of  the  honor  and  glory  of  our 
country. 

By  order  of  the  commander-in-chief. 

J.  ZEILIN, 
Brevet  captain  and  adjutant. 


HEAD -QUARTERS, 
Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  January  11,  1847. 

SIR:  My  last  letter  to  the  department  will  liave  informed  you  of 
the  defeat  of  Captain  Mervine  at  San  Pedro,  and  the  return  of 
Colonel  Fremont,  with  the  force  under  his  command,  to  Monterey, 
since  which  time  I  have  not  heard  from  him;  and  of  my  being  at 
San  Diego  surrounded  by  the  insurgents,  and  entirely  destitute  of 
all  means  of  transportation.  We  succeeded  at  last,  however,  in 
getting  animals  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  to  the  southward  of 
San  Diego,  and  in  driving  them,  in  despite  of  the  insurgents,  into 
the  garrison. 

2 


[31] 


18 


I  have  now  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  it  has  pleased  God  to 
crown  our  poor  efforts  to  put  down  the  rebellion,  and  to  retrieve 
the  credit  of  our  arms  with  the  most  complete  success.  The  in 
surgents  again  elated  by  the  defeat  of  General  Kearny  at  San 
Pasqual,and  the  capture  of  one  of  his  guns,  determined  with  his 
•whole  force  to  meet  us  on  our  march  from  San  Diego  to  this 
place,  and  to  decide  the  fate  of  the  territory  by  a  general  battle. 

Having  made  the  best  preparation  I  could  in  the  face  of  a  boast 
ing  and  vigilant  enemy,  we  left  San  Diego  on  the  29th  day  of  De 
cember  (that  portion'of  the  insurgent  army  who  had  been  watch 
ing  and  annoying  us  having  left  to  join  the  main  body)  with 
about  six  hundred  fighting  men,  composed  of  detachments  from  the 
ships  Congress,  Savannah,  Portsmouth,  and  Cyane,  aided  by  Gen 
eral  Kearny,  with  a  detachment  of  sixty  men  on  foot  from  the  first 
regiment  of  United  States-  dragoons,  and  with  Captain  Gillespie, 
with  sixty  mounted  riflemen. 

We  marched  nearly  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  in  ten  days, 
and  found  the  rebels,  on  the  8th  day  of  January,  in  a  strong  posi 
tion,  on  the  high  bank  of  the  "  Rio  San  Gabriel,"  with  six  hun 
dred  mounted  men,  and  four  pieces  of  artillery,  prepared  to  dis 
pute  our  passage  across  that  river. 

We  waded  through  the  water,  dragging  our  guns  after  us,  against 
the  galling  fire  of  the  enemy,  without  exchanging  a  shot  until  we 
reached  the  opposite  shore,  when  the  fight  became  general,  and 
©ur  troops  having  repelled  a  charge  of  the  enemy,  charged  up  the 
bank  in  a  most  gallant  manner,  and  gained  a  most  complete  vic 
tory  over  the  insurgent  army. 

The  next  day,  on  our  march  across  the  plains  of  the  il  Mesa57  to 
this  place,  the  insurgents  made  another  desperate  effort  to  save  the 
capital  and  their  own  necks;  they  were  concealed  with  their  artil 
lery  in  a  ravine  until  we  came  within  gunshot,  \  hen  they  opened 
a  brisk  fire  from  their  field  pieces  en  our  right  flank,  and  at  the 
same  time  charged  both  on  our  front  and  rear;  we  soon  silenced 
their  guns  and  repelled  the  charge,  when  they  fled  and  permitted 
us  the  next  morning  to  march  into  town  without  any  further  oppo 
sition. 

We  have  rescued  the  country  from  the  hands  of  the  insurgents, 
but  I  fear  that  the  absence  of  Colonel  Fremont's  battalion  of 
mounted  riflemen  will  enable  most  of  the  Mexican  officers,  who 
have  broken  their  parole,  to  escape  to  Sonora. 

\  am  happy  to  say  that  our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  does  not 
exceed  twenty,  whilst  we  are  informed  that  the  enemy  has  lost  be 
tween  severity  and  eighty. 

This  despatch  must  go  immediately,  and  I  will  wait  another  op 
portunity  to  furnish  you  with  the  details  of  these  two  battles,  and 
the  gallant  conduct  of  the  officers  and  men  under  my  command, 
with  their  names. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.   F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore,  fyc. 

To  the  honorable  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy}  Washington^  D.  C. 


19  [  31  ] 

P.  S.— Enclosed  I  have  the  honor  to  send  to  you  a  translation 
of  the  letter  handed  to  me  by  the  commissioners,  mentioned  in  an 
other  part  of  this  despatch,  sent  by  Jose  M.  Fiores,  to  negociate  a 
peace  honorable  to  both  nations.  The  verbal  answer  stated  in  an 
other  page  of  this  letter  was  sent  to  this  renowned  general  and 
commander-in-chief;  he  had  violated  his  honor,  and  I  would  not 
treat  with  him  nor  write  to  him. 


[Translation.] 

CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  GOVERNMENT  OF 

THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

January  1,  1847. 

The  undersigned,  governor  and  commandant  general  of  the  de 
partment  and  cornmander-in  chief  of  the  national  troops,  has  the 
honor  to  address  himself  to  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  naval 
and  land  forces  of  the  United  States  of  North  America,  to  say  that 
he  has  been  informed  by  persons  worthy  of  credit,  that  it  is  pro 
bably  at  this  time  the  differences  which,  have  altered  the  relations 
of  friendship  between  the  Mexican  Republic  and  that  of  the  United 
States  of  North  America  have  ceased,  and  that  you  looked  for  the 
news  of  the  arrangements  between  the  two  governments  by  the 
schooner  Shark,  expected  every  moment  on  this  coast. 

A  number  of  days  have  elapsed  since  the  undersigned  was  in 
vited  by  several  foreign  gentlemen,  settled  in  this  country,  to  en 
ter  into  a  communication  with  you — they  acting  as  mediators — to 
obtain  an  honorable  adjustment  for  both  forces,  in  consequence  of 
the  evils  which  all  feel  are  caused  by  the  unjust  war  you  wage, 
but  the  duty  of  the  undersigned  prohibited  him  from  doing  so,  and 
ifj  to-day,  he  steps  beyond  the  limits  marked  out  by  it,  it  is  with 
the  confidence  inspired  by  the  hope  there  exists  a  definite  arrange 
ment  between  the  two  nations;  for  the'undersigned  being  animated 
with  the  strongest  wishes  for  the  return  of  peace,  it  would  be  most 
painful  to  him  not  to  have  taken  the  means  to  avoid  the  useless 
effusion  of  human  blood,  and  its  terrible  consequences,  during  mo 
ments  when  the  general  peace  might  have  been  secured. 

The  undersigned  flatters  himself  with  this  hope,  and  for  that 
reason  has  thought  it  opportune  to  direct  you  this  note,  which  will 
be  placed  in  your  hands  by  Messrs.  Julian  Workman  and  Charles 
Fluge,  who  have  voluntarily  offered  themselves  to  act  as  mediators. 
But  if,  unfortunately,  the  mentioned  news  should  prove  untrue, 
and  you  should  not  be  disposed  to  grant  a  truce  to  the  evils  under 
which  this  unfortunate  country  suffers,  of  which  you  alone  are  the 
cause,  may  the  terrible  consequences  of  your  want  of  consideration 
fall  on  your  head.  The  citizens,  all  of  whom  compose  the  national 
forces  of  this  department,  are  decided,  firmly,  to  bury  themselves 
under  the  ruins  of  their  country,  combating  to  the  last  moment, 
before  consenting  to  the  tyranny  and  ominous  discretionary  power 
of  the  agents  of  the  government  of  the  United  States  of  North 


[31] 


20 


America.  This  is  no  problem;  different  deeds  of  arms  prove  that 
they  know  how  to  defend  their  rights  on  the  field  of  battle.  The 
undersigned  still  confides  you  will  give  a  satisfactory  solution  to 
this  affair,  and  in  the  mean  time  has  the  honor  of  offering  to  you 
the  assurance  of  his  consideration  and  private  esteem. 
God  and  liberty. 

JOSE  M.  FLORES. 


GENERAL  ORDER. 

HEAD-QUARTERS,  CIUDAD  DE  LCS  ANGELES, 

January  11,  1847. 

The  commander- in-chief  congratulates  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  southern  division  of  United  States  forces  in  California,  on  the 
brilliant  victories  obtained  by  them  over  the  enemy  on  the  8th  and 
9th  instants,  and  on  once  more  taking  possession  of  the"Ciudad  de 
los  Angeles." 

He  takes  the  earliest  moment  to   commend    their  gallantry  and 
good  conduct,  both   in  the  battle    fought  on  the  8th,  on  the   banks 
of  the  uRio  San  Gabriel,"  and  on  the  9th  instant,  on  the  plains  of 
.the  "Mesa." 

The  steady  courage  of  the  troops  in  forcing  their  passage  across 
the  "Rio  San  Gabriel,"  where  officers  and  men  were  alike  em 
ployed  in  dragging  the  guns  through  the  water,  against  the  galling 
fire  of  the  enemy  without  exchanging  a  shot,  and  their  gallant 
charge  up  the  banks  against  the  enemy's  cavalry,  has  perhaps 
never  lieen  surpassed;  and  the  cool  determination  with  which  in 
the  battle  of  the  9th,  they  repulsed  the  charge  of  cavalry  made  by 
the  enemy  at  the  same  time  on  their  front  and  rear,  has  extorted 
the  admiration  of  the  enemy  and  deserves  the  best  thanks  of  their 
countrymen. 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Governor  and  commander- in- chief 

of  the   Territory  of  California. 


HEAD-QUARTERS,  CIUDAD  DE  LOS  ANGELES, 

January  15,  1847. 

SIR:  Referring  to  my  letter  of  the  llth,  I  have  the  honor  to  in 
form  you  of  the  arrival  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fremont  at  this  place 
with  four  hundred  men;  that  some  of  the  insurgents  have  made 
their  escape  to  Sbnora,  and  thatithe  rest  have  surrendered  to  our 
arms. 

Immediately  after  the  battles  of  the  8th  and  9th,  they  began  to 
disperse;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  their  leader,  Jose  M.  Flores^ 
made  his  escape,  and  that  the  others  have  been  pardoned  by  a  ca 
pitulation  agreed  upon  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Fremont. 


21  [  31  ] 

Jose  M.  Flores,  the  commander  of  the  insurgent  forces,  two  or 
three  days  previous  to  the  8th,  sent  two  commissioners,  with  a  flag 
of  true!,  to  my  camp  to  make  u  a  treaty  of  peace.77  I  informed 
the  commissioners  that  I  could  not  recognize  Jose  M.  Flores,  who 
had  broken  his  parole,  as  an  honorable  man,  or  as  one  having  any 
rightful  authority,  or  worthy  to  be  treated  with;  that  he  was  a 
rebel  in  arms,  and  if  I  caught  him,  I  would  have  him  shot. 

It  seemed  that,  not  being  able  to  negotiate  with  me,  and  having 
lost  the  battles  of  the  8th  and  9th,  they  met  Colonel  Fremont,  on 
the  12th  instant,  on  his  way  here,  who,  not  knowing  what  had  oc 
curred,  entered  into  the  capitulation  with  them,  which  I  now  send 
to  you;  and  although  I  refused  to  do  it  myself,  still  I  have  thought 
it  best  to  approve  it.  I  am  glad  to  say,  that,  by  the  capitulation, 
we  have  recovered  the  gun  taken  by  the  insurgents  at  the  sad  de 
feat  of  General  Kearny  at  San  Pasqual. 

The  territory  of  California  is  again  tranquil,  and  the  civil  gov 
ernment,  formed  by  me,  is  again  in  operation  in  the  places  where 
it  was  interrupted  by  the  insurgents. 

Colonel  Fremont  .has  five  hundred  men  in  his  battalion,  which 
will  be  quite  sufficient  to  preserve  the  peace  ©f  the  territory;  and 
I  will  immediately  withdraw  my  sailors  and  marines,  and  sail,  as 
soon  as  possible,  for  the  coast  of  Mexico,  where  I  hope  they  will 
give  a  good  account  of  themselves. 
Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore ,  fyc. 

To  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  JVavy,  Washington,  D.  C. 


To  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting: 

Know  ye  that,  in  consequence  of  propositions  of  peace,  or  ces 
sation  of  hostilities,  being  submitted  to  me,  as  commandant  of  the 
Californian  battalion  of  United  States  forces,  which  has  so  far 
been  acceded  to  by  me,  as  to  cause  me  to  appoint  a  board  of  com 
missioners  to  confer  with  a  similar  board  appointed  by  the  Cali- 
fornians,  and  it  requiring  a  little  time  to  close  the  negotiations,  it 
is  agreed  upon,  and  ordered  by  me,  that  an  entire  cessation  of  hos 
tilities  shall  take  place  until  to-morrow  afternoon,  (January  13,) 
and  that  the  said  Californians  be  permitted  to  bring  in  their 
wounded  to  the  mission  of  San  Fernandez,  where,  also,  if  they 
choose,  they  can  remove  their  camp,  to  facilitate  said  negotia 
tions. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  this  twelfth  day  of  January,  1847. 

,     J.  C.  FREMONT, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  United  States  army, 

and  Military  Commandant  of  California. 


[  31  ]  22 

Articles  of  capitulation  made  and  entered  into  at  the  ranch  of  Co- 
wenga,  this  thirteenth  day  of  January ,  Anno  Domini,  eighteen 
hundred  and  forty  seven ,  between  P.  B.  Reading,  Majftr,  Louis 
McLane,  jr.,  commanding  artillery,  Wm.  H.  Russell,  ordnance 
officer,  commissioners  appointed  by  J.  C.  Fremont,  lieutenant 
colonel,  United  States  army,  and  military  commandant  of  the 
territory  of  California,  and  Jose  Antonio  Carrillo,  commandant 
esquadron,  Augustin  Olvera,  diputado,  commissioners,  ^appointed 
by  Don  Andres  Pico,  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Californian 
forces  under  the  Mexican  flag. 

ART.  1.  The  commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  CaKfornians, 
agree  that  their  entire  force,  shall  on  presentation  of  themselves  to 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Fremont,  deliver  up  their  artillery  and  public 
arms,  and  they  shall  return  peacebly  to  their  homes,  conforming  to 
the  laws  and  regulations  of  the  United  States,  and  not  again  take 
up  arms  during  the  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  but 
will  assist  and  aid  in  placing  the  country  in  a  state  of  peace  and 
tranquility. 

ART.  2.  The  commissioners  on  the  part  of  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Fremont  agree  and  bind  themselves  on  the  fulfilment  of  the  1st  ar 
ticle  by  the  CaHfornians,  that  they  shall  be  guarantied  protection 
of  life  and  property  whether  on  parole  or  otherwise. 

ART.  3.  That  until  a  treaty  of  peace  be  made  and  signed  between 
the  United  States  of  North  America  and  the  republic  of  Mexico,  no 
Californian  or  other  Mexican  citizen  shall  be  bound  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance. 

ART.  4.  That  any  Californian  or  other  citizen  of  Mexico  desir 
ing,  is  permitted  by  this  capitulation  to  leave  the  country  without 
let  or  hindrance. 

ART.  5.  That  in  virtue  of  the  aforesaid  articles,  equal  rights  and 
privileges  are  vouchsafed  to  every  citizen  of  California,  as  are  en 
joyed  by  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  of  North  America. 

ART.  6.  All  officers^  citizens,  foreigner,  or  others,  shall  receive 
the  protection  guarantied  by  the  2d  article. 

Ai.T.  7.  This  capitulation  is  intended  to  be  no  bar  in  effecting 
such  arrangements  as  may  in  future  be  in  justice,  required  by  both 
parties.  P.  B.  READING, 

Major  California  Battalion. 
WM.  H.  RUSSELL, 
Ordnance  Officer  of  California  Battalion. 

LOUIS  McLANE,  Jr. 
Commanding  Artillery  California  Battalion. 

JOSE  ANTONIO  CARRILLO, 

Commandant e.  de  Esquadron. 
AUGUSTIN  OLVERA,  Diputado. 

Approved.  J.  G.  FREMONT, 

Lt.  Col.  U.  S.  army,  and  Military 

Commandant  of  California. 
Approbado.  ANDRES  PICO, 

Commandante  de  Esquadron  y  en  Gefe 

de  las  fuereas  nacionales  en  California* 


23  [  31  } 

Additional  article. 

That  the  paroles  of  all  officers,  citizens,  and  others  of  the  T7nited 
States,  and  of  naturalized  citizens  of  Mexico,  are  bj  this  foregoing 
capitulation  cancelled,  and  every  condition  of  said  paroles  from 
and  after  this  date  are  of  no  farther  force  and  effect,  and  all  pris 
oners  of  both  parties  are  hereby  released. 

P.  B.  READING, 

Major  California  Battalion, 
LOUS  McLANE,  Jr., 
Commanding  Artillery  California  Battalion. 

WM.  H.  RUSSELL, 
Ordnance  Officer  of  California  Battalion. 

JOSE  ANTONIO  CARRILLO, 

Commandants  de  Esquadron. 
AUGUSTIN  OLVERA, 

Diputado. 

Approved.  J.  C.  FREMONT, 

Lt.  Col.  U.  S.  army,  and  Military 

Commandant  of  California. 

Approbad.  ANDRES  PICO, 

Commandante  de  Esquadron.  y  en  Gefe 

de  las  fuereas  nacionales  en  California. 

ClUDAD  DE  LOS    ANGELES, 

January  16,  1847. 


UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 

Harbor  of  San  Diego,  January  22,  1847. 

SIR:  I  bave  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  the  civil  government 
of  this  territory  is  in  successful  operation,  that  Colonel  Fremont 
is  acting  as  governor,  and  Colonel  Russell  as  secretary,  and  that 
I  am  again  on  board  of  the  Congress  preparing  her  for  the  coast  of 
Mexico. 

Lieutenant  Gray,  who  is  charged  with  my  despatches,  has  been 
my  aid-de-,camp,  and  has  done  his  duty  with  great  good  conduct 
and  gallantry. 

He  is  the  officer  whom  I  sent  to  relieve  General  Kearny  from 
his  perilous  condition  after  his  defeat  at  San  Pasqual,  and  deserves 
the  consideration  of  the  department. 

He  will  be  able  to  give  you  the  particulars  of  that  unfortunate 
and  disastrous  affair. 

Faithfully,  vour  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commodore,  #c. 
To  the  honorable  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C. 


[31]  24 

U.  S.  FRIGATE  "CONGRESS," 
Harbor  of  San  Diego,  February  4,  1847. 

SIR:  As  the  guardian  of  the  honor  and  services  of  the  navy,  I 
take  leave  to  send  to  you'the  following  narrative.  This  case  re 
quires  no  argument-  nor  will  I  make  a  single  remark  in  relation  to 
the  extraordinary  conduct  of  General  Kearny,  or  the  indefensible 
language  of  his  notes:  "demands,"  "personal  collision^"  "civil 
war,"  and  the  bold  assertion  that  the  country  was  not  conquered  un 
til  the  Sth  and  9th  of  January  by  the  troops  under  his  command, 
speak  for  themselves. 

I  only  desire  at  this  time  that  you  will  call  the  attention  of  the 
President  to  it,  and  ask  that  General  Kearny  may  be  recalled  from 
the  territory,  to  prevent  the  evil  consequences  that  may  grow  out 
of  such  a  temper  and  such  a  head. 

Last  September  I  ordered  an  express  mail  to  be  sent  in  charge 
of  Mr.  Carson,  from  the  "Ciudad  de  los  Angeles"  to  the  city  of 
Washington,  to  inform  the  President  that  the  territory  of  Califor 
nia  had  been  conquered,  and  a  civil  government  established  there 
in.  Mr.  Carson  was  met  on  his"*way,  and  only  within  four  days 
travel  of  Santa  Fe,  by  General  Kearny,  to  whom  he  communicated 
the  abpve  intelligence,  and  that  Col.  Fremont  was  to  be  Governor. 
General  Kearny  sent  back  to  Santa  Fe  a  large  part  of  the  force 
under  his  command,  but  came  himself  to  the  territory  with  a  de 
tachment  of  dragoons;  he  would  not  permit  Mr.  Carson  to  proceed 
with  the  express,  but  insisted  that  he  should  ^return  with  him  to  Ca 
lifornia.  On  the  3d  of  December  I  received  a  letter  from  General 
Kearny  by  Mr.  E.  Stokes,  which  I  now  enclose,  marked  No.  1.  I 
immediately  despatched  Captain  Gillespie  and  Mr.  Stokes,  with 
about  thirty-nine  mounted  riflemen,  to  the  "head-quarters  of  the 
army  of  the  West,"  with  the  letter  marked  No.  2.  Mr.  Stokes  said 
that  the  General  had  informed  him  that  he  had  «\bout  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty  men  with  him. 

On  the  night  of  the  6th  Mr.  Stokes  returned  to  San  Diego,  and 
informed  me  that  General  Kearny  had  attempted  to  surprise  the 
insurgents  early  that  morning,  in  their  camp  at  San  Pasqual;  that 
a  battle  ensued,  in  which  the  General  was  worsted,  but  to  what 
extent  he  could  not  accurately  state,  because  he  came  off  immedi 
ately  after  the  firing  ceased,  without  communicating  with  any  one 
on  the  field  of  battle;  that  the  General  had  lost  many  killed  and 
wounded,  and  one  of  his  guns  had  been  taken;  that  the  insurgents 
were  commanded  by  Andres  Pico,  who  had  with  him  about  one 
hundred  men.  The  next  day  Mr.  Godey  came  in  express  from  the 
General's  camp,  and  confirmed  the  sad  intelligence  of  his  defeat, 
bringing  the  enclosed  letter  from  Captain  Turner  of  the  dragoons, 
marked  No.  3. 

On  Wednesday  night,  the  9th  instant,  Lieutenant  Beale,  of  the 
navy,  came  in  from  the  General's  camp,  and  stated  that  the  force 
under  General  Kearny's  command  had  attempted  to  surprise  the 
insurgents  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  at  San  Pasqual;  that  in  the 
fight  which  ensued  General  Kearny  had  been  defeated,  with  the 


25  [  31  ] 

loss  of  eighteen  or  nineteen  killed,  and  thirteen  or  fourteen  wound 
ed;  that  General  Kearny  and  his  whole  force  were  besieged  on  a 
small  hill  of  rocks,  and  so  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  escape  unless  immediate  assistance  was  sent 
to  them;  that  all  their  cattle  had  been  taken  away  from  them,  and 
that  they  were  obliged  to  eat  their  mules;  that  they  were  burning 
and  destroying  a  quantity  of  valuable  public  property — tents,  sad 
dles  and  bridles,  and  camp  equipage  of  every  description,  as  well 
as  privajte  stores  and  clothing.  Lieut.  Gray  was  leaving  San  Die 
go  with  two  hundred  and  fifteen  men,  to  go  to  the  relief  of  General 
Kearny,  at  the  moment  of  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Beale.  He  succeed 
ed  in  bringing  the  General  and  his  troops  safely  into  San  Diego. 
A  few  days  after  the  General's  arrival  at  San  Diego  I  offered  to 
him  the  situation  of  commander-in-chief  of  the  forces  then  prepar 
ing  for  a  campaign,  and  offered  to  go  with  him  as  his  "aid -de 
camp."  He  declined  this  proposition,  but  said  he  would  go  as  my 
"aid-de-camp."  Soon  after  this  he  handed  me  his  instructions 
from  the  War  Department,  which  having  read,  I  returned  to  him 
with  the  enclosed  note,  markecf^No.  4.  A  short  time  after  this 
the  General,  in  a  conversation  with  me,  intimated  that  under  his 
instructions  from  the  War  Department  he  was  entitled  to  be  the 
governor  of  the  territory.  I  replied,  that  his  instructions  express 
ly  said,  ^^that  should  he  conquer  the  country  he  might  establish  a 
civil  government  therein;"  that  the  country  had  been  conquered, 
and  a  civil  government  established,  before  he  left  Santa  Fe,  of 
which  he  had  been  informed  as  before  stated  by  Mr.  Carson,  when 
he  was  rjnly  four  days  travel  from  Santa  Fe.  I  also  said  that  his 
instructions  from  the  War  Department,  under  these  circumstances, 
should  in  my  judgment  be  considered  obsolete  and  nugatory;  that 
as  the  thing;  ordered  to  be  done  had  been  accomplished  already, 
there  remained  nothing  to  be  done;  that  the  civil  government 
formed  hi  me  was,  at  the  time  we  were  talking  about  it,  in  actual 
operatiorr  throughout  the  territory,  with  the  exception  of  the  "Ciu-. 
dad  de  los  Angeles,"  and  "Santa  Barbara,"  where  it  had  been 
temporarily  interrupted  by  the  insurgents;  besides  which  I  had 
informed  the  government  that  I  would  appoint  Colonel  Fremont 
governor,  and  had  pledged  myself  to  Colonel  Fremont  to  do  so. 
That  the  thing  was  therefore  before  the  government,  and  their  ap 
proval  or  disapproval  was  probably  on  its  way  to  me;  and  that  if  he 
had  not  interfered  with  my  express  it  probably  would  have  re 
turned  from  Washington  by  the  middle  of  January.  I  supposed 
from  this  conversation,  in  connexion  with  the  offer  of  the  General 
to  accompany  me  as  aid-de-camp,  that  he  would  not  again  aspire 
to  the  chief  command  of  the  territory,  until  after  the  expected  des 
patches  had  arrived  from  Washington. 

The  relations  between  General  Kearny  and  myself  remained  in 
this  condition  until  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  December,  when, 
after  the  troops  had  been  paraded  and  were  ready  to  proceed  on 
the  march  to  the  Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  General  Kearny  came  to 
me  and'  asked  who  was  to  command  the  troops?  I  said  that,  as 
commander-in-chief,  I  would  command  in  person.  But,  said  he,  I 


[  31  ]  26 

mean  who  is  to  command  the  troops  under  you?  I  said  that  I  had 
appointed  Lieutenant  Rowan,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Cyane,  to 
do  so;  the  general  observed,  that  he  thought  he  was  entitled  to  that 
command.  I  replied,  that  Mr.  Rowan  had  been  appointed  merely 
to  relieve  me  from  the  details  of  the  march  and  camp;  and  that  if 
he  (the  general)  was  willing  to  perform  that  duty,  I  did  not  doubt 
that  Lieutenant  Rowan  would  yield  to  him,  and  I  would  give  him 
the  appointment  with  pleasure. 

Lieutenant  Rowan  yielded,  and  I  immediately  summoned  the 
officers  around  me,  who  were  in  readiness  to  march,  and  announced 
to  them  that  General  Kearny  would  take  Mr.  Rowan's  situation, 
but  that  I  would  remain  commander-in-chief. 

With  this  arrangement  we  proceeded  on  our  march,  during  which 
I  ordered,  when  the  troops  were  to  march,  the  road  they  were 
to  march  and  when  they  were  to  encamp,  and  did  all  other  things 
belonging  or  appertaining  to  the  duties  as  the  commander  of  the 
forces  and  the  governor  of  the  territory,  and  no  one  paid  more  re 
spect  and  deference  to  me  as  such  than  General  Kearny;  and  it 
never  was  more  conspicuous  thatt  in  the  battles  of  the  8th  and  9th 
of  January,  as  well  as  during  our  march  into  the  city. 

On  the  16th  of  January  I  received  the  enclosed  letter  from  Gene 
ral  Kearny,  marked  No.  5,  by  the  address  of  which  you  will  per 
ceive  that  I  am  still  considered  by  him  acting  governor  of  the  ter 
ritory,  at  the  very  moment  he  arrogates  to  himself  the  supreme 
power  of  demanding  of  me  to  desist  from  the  performance  of  my 
duties.  I  also  send  my  reply,  marked  No.  6,  and  his  rejoinder, 
marked. No.  7,  with  a  note  subsequently  received  from  him,  marked 
No.  8. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commodore,  fyc. 

T©  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

Washington,  D.  C. 


HEAD-QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  WEST, 

Camp  at  Warner's,  December  2,  1846. 

SIR:  I  this  afternoon  reached  here,  escorted  by  a  party  of  the  1st 
regiment  dragoons.  I  come  by  orders  of  ihe  President  of  the  Uni 
ted  States.  We  left  Santa  Fe  on  the  25th  September,  having  taken 
possession  of  New  Mexico,  annexed  it  to  the  United  States,  estab 
lished  a  civil  government  in  that  territory,  and  secured  order,  peace 
and  quietness  there. 

If  you  can  send  a  party  to  open  a  communication  with  us  on  the 
route  to  this  place,  and  to  inform  me  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  Cali 
fornia,  I  wish  you  would  do  so,  and  as  quickly  as  possible. 

The  fear  <?f  this  letter  falling  into  Mexican  hands  prevents  me 
from  writing  more. 


27  [  31  ] 

Your  express  by  Mr.  Carson  was  met  on  the  Del  Norte;  and  your 
mail  must  have  reached  Washington  at  least  ten  days  since. 

You  might  use  the  bearer,  Mr.  Stokes,  as  a  guide  to  conduct  your 
party  to  this  place. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.  W.  KEARNY-, 
Brigadier  general^    U.  S.  A. 
Commodore  R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

United  States  navy, 

Com'dg  Pacific  squadron,  San  Diego. 


HEAD-QUARTERS, 
San  Diego,  December  3,  1846— 6J  o'c/ocA;,  p.  m. 

SIR:  I  have  this  moment  received  your  note  of  yesterday  by  Mr. 
Stokes,  and  have  ordered  Captain  Gillespie,  with  a  detachment  of 
mounted  riflemen  and  a  field  piece,  to  proceed  to  your  camp  with 
out  delay. 

Captain  Gillespie  is  well  informed  in  relation  to  the  present  state 
of  things  in  California,  and  will  give  you  all  needful  information; 
I  need  not,  therefore,  detain  him  by  saying  anything  on  the  sub 
ject.  I  will  merely  say  that  I  have  this  evening  received  informa 
tion,  by  two  deserters  from  the  rebel  camp,  of  the  arrival  of  an 
additional  force  in  this  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  men,  which, 
in  addition  to  the  force  previously  here,  makes  their  number  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty. 

I  send  witlj  Captain  Gillespie,  as  a  guide,  one  of  the  deserters, 
that  you  may  make  inquiries  of  him;  and,  if  you  see  fit,  endeavor 
to  surprise  them. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 
Commander-in-chief  and  governor 

of  the  Territory  of  California. 
To  Brigadier  General  KEARNY, 

United  States  army. 


HEAD- QUARTERS, 
Camp  near  San  Pasqual,  December  6,  1846. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  you  that,  at  early  dawn  this 
morning,  General  Kearny,  with  a  detachment  of  United  States  dra 
goons  and  Captain  Gillespie's  Company  of  mounted  riflemen,  had 
an  engagement  with  a  very  considerable  Mexican  force  near  this 
camp. 

We  have  about  eighteen  killed,  and  fourteen  or  fifteen  wounded; 
several  so  severely  that  it  may  be  impracticable  to  move  them  fo-r 
several  days.  I  have  to  suggest  to  you  the  propriety  of  despatch 
ing  without  delay  a  considerable  force  to  meet  us  on  the  route  to 


[  31  ]  28 

San  Diego  via  the  Solidad  and  San  Bernardo,  or  to  find  us  at  this 
place;  also,  that  you  will  send  up  carts,  or  some  other  means  of 
transporting  our  wounded  to  San  Diego.  We  are  without  provisions, 
and,  in  our  present  situation,  may  find  it  impracticable  to  obtain 
cattle  from  the  ranches  in  the  vicinity. 

General  Kearny  is  among  the  wounded;  but,  it's  hoped,  not  dan 
gerously;  Captains  Moore  and  Johnston,  1st  dragoons,  killed;  Cap 
tain  Gillespie  badly  but  not  dangerously  wounded;  Lieutenant  Ham 
mond,  1st  dragoons,  dangerously  wounded. 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

H.  S.  TURNER, 
Captain  U.  S.  A.,  commanding. 

Commodore  R.  F.  STOCKTON. 

United  States  navy,  San  Diego. 


*  HEAD-QUARTERS, 

San  Diego,  December  16,  1846. 

DEAR  GENERAL:  With  ray  best  thanks  1  return  to  you-  the  des 
patches  from  the  War  Department  addressed  to  you,  which  you  did 
me  the  favor  to  allow  me  to  read.  I  also  send  copies  of  some  of 
my  letters,  &c.,  &c.,  that  you  may  see  how  far  the  wishes  of  the 
government  have  been  anticipated  and  accomplished  by  the  forces 
under  my  command. 

I  am,  dear  general,  faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Comjnodorej  fyc. 
To  Brigadier  General  S.  W.  KEARNY, 

United  States  army. 


HEAD  QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE 

Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  January  16,  1847. 

SIR:  I  am  informed  that  you  are  now  engaged  in  organizing 
a  civil  government,  and  appointing  officers  for  it  in  this  territory. 
As  this  duty  has  been  specially  assigned  to  myself,  by  orders  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  conveyed  in  letters  to  me  from 
the  Secretary  of  War,  of  June  3d,  8th  and  18th,  1846,  the  original 
of  which  I  gave  to  you  on  the  12th,  and  which  you  returned  to  me 
on  the  13th,  and  copies  of  which  I  furnished  you  with  on  the  26th 
December,  I  have  to  ask  if  you  have  any  authority  from  the  Presi 
dent,  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  or  from  any  other  channel 
of  the  President,  to  form  such  government  and  make  such  appoint 
ments. 

If  you  have  such  authority,  and  will  show  it  to  me  or  furnish  me 
with  a  certified  copy  of  it,  I  will  cheerfully  acquiesce  in  what  you 
are  doing.  If  you  have  not  such  authority,  I  then  demand  that  you 
cease  all  further  pioceedings  relating  to  the  formation  of  a  civil 


29  [31 

government  for  this  territory,  as  I  cannot  recognzie  in  you  any 
right  in  assuming  to  perform  duties  confided  to  me  by  the  Presi 
dent. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.    W.  KEARNY, 

Brigadier  General   United  States  army. 
Com.  R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Acting  governor  of  California. 


HEAD  QUARTERS, 
Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  January  16,  1847. 

SIR:  In  answer  to  your  note  received  this  afternoon,  I  need  say 
but  little  more  than  that  which  I  communicated  to  you  in  a  con 
versation  at  San  Diego; -that  California  was  conquered  and  a  civil 
government  put  into  successful  operation;  that  a  copy  of  the  laws 
made  by  me  for  the  government  of  the  territory,  and  the  names  of 
the  officers  selected  to  see  them  faithfully  executed,  were  transmit 
ted  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  before  you  arrived  in  the 
territory. 

I  will  only  add,  that  I  cannot  do  anything,  nor  desist  from  doing 
anything,  or  alter  anything  on  your  demand,  which  I  will  submit 
to  the  President  and  ask  for  your  recall.  In  the  mean  time,  you 
will  consider  yourself  suspended  from  the  command  of  the  United 
States  forces  in  this  place. 

Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commander-in-chief^ 

To  Brevet  Brigadier  General  S.  W.  KEARNY. 


HEAD- QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  WEST, 

Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  January  17,  1847. 

SIR:  In  my  communication  to  you  of  yesterday's  date,  I  stated 
that  I  had  learned  that  you  were  engaged  in  organizing  a  civil 
government  for  California.  I  referred  you  to  the  President's  in 
structions  to  me,  (the  original  of  which  you  have  seen,  and  copies 
of  which  I  furnished  you,)  to  perform  that  duty,  and  I  added  that, 
if  you  had  any  authority  from  the  President,  or  any  of  his  organs, 
for  what  you  were  doing,  I  would  cheerfully  acquiesce,  and  if  you 
had  not  such  authority,  I  demanded  that  you  would  cease  further 
proceedings  in  the  matter.  Your  reply  of  the  same  date  refers  me 
to  a  conversation  held  at  San  Diego,  and  adds,  that  you  "  cannot  do 
anything,  nor  desist  from  doing  anything,  or  alter  anything  on 
your  (my)  demand."  As  in  consequence  of  the  defeat  of  the  enemy 
on  the  8th  and  9th  instants,  by  the  troops  under  my  command,  and 
the  capitulation  entered  into  on  the  13th  instant,  by  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Fremont,  with  the  leaders  of  the  Californians,  in  which 


[  31  ]  30 

the  people  under  arms  and  in  the  field,  agree  to  disperse  and  re 
main  quiet  and  peaceable,  the  country  may  now,  for  the  first 
time,  be  considered  as  conquered  and  taken  possession  of  by  us, 
and  as  I  am  prepared  to  carry  out  the  President's  instructions  to 
me,  which  you  oppose,  I  must,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  a 
collision  between  us,  and  possibly  a  civil  war  in  consequence  of  it, 
remain  silent  for  the  present,  leaving  with  you  the  great  responsi 
bility  of  doing  that  for  which  you  have  no  authority,  and  pre 
venting  me  from  complying  with  the  President's  orders. 
Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.  W.  KEARNY, 
Brigadier  General,  U.  S.  A. 
Commodore  R,  F.   STOCKTON, 

United  States  Navy, 

Acting  Governor,  California. 


HEAD  QUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  WEST, 

Ciudad  de  los  Angeles,  January  17,  1847. 

SIR:  I  have  to  inform  you  that  I  intend  to  withdraw  to  morrow 
from  this  place,  with  the  small  party  which  escorted  me  to  this 
country. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

S.  W.  KEARNY, 
Brigadier  General. 

Commodore  R,  F.  STOCKTON, 

United  States  Navy, 

Acting  Governor,  California. 


UNITED  STATES  FRIGATE  CONGRESS, 
Harbor  of  San  Diego,  February  5,  1847. 

SIR:  I  had  'the  honor  to  write  to  you  on  the  llth  of  January  by 
by  my  aide- de  camp,  Lieutenant  Gray,  informing  you  of  the  victo 
ries  gained,  en  the  8th  and  9th  of  January,  over  the  insurgent  army 
by  the  forces  under  my  command;  that  the  insurrection  had  Jjeen 
put  down,  and  peace  and  tranquillity  restored  throughout  the  ter 
ritory;  that  we  had  again  taken  possession  of  the  Ciudad  de  los 
Angeles;  that  our  flag  was  once  more  flying  in  all  pirts  of  Califor 
nia;  and  that  the  civil  government,  formed  by  me  last  September, 
was  in  successful  operation. 

I  now  proceed  (as  it  is  my  duty  to  do)  to  give  you  a  more  de 
tailed  and  circumstantial  account  of  the  battles  of  the  8th  and  9th, 
as  well  as  of  the  preparations  which  preceded  them.  We  came  to 
San  Diego  with  the  ^Congress  alone,  her  resources  having  been 
almost  exhausted  in  a  previous  campaign.  The  town  was  besieged 
by  the  insurgents,  and  there  were  no  stores  or  provisions  of  any 
kind  in  it,  and  we  were  reduced  to  one- fourth  allowance  of  bread. 


31  [  31  ] 

We  had  to  build  a  fort  to  mount  our  artillery— to  make  our  saddles 
and  bridles  and  harness;  we  had,  in  truth,  to  make  an  army,  with 
all  its  necessary  appendages,  out  of  the  mechanics  and  sailors  of 
this  ship,  and  to  take  our  horses  and  beef  cattle  from  the  enemy. 

The  industry,  perseverance  and  hard  work,  as  well  as  enterprise 
and  courage  necessary  for  such  operations,  do  not  need  my  poor 
commendation. 

We  commenced  our  march  on  the  29th  of  December,  with  Cap 
tain  Turner's  company  of  1st  dragoons,  dismounted,  aided  by  Lieu 
tenant  Davidson;  six  pieces  of  artillery,  under  Lieutenant  R  L 
Tilghman,  and  Passed  Midshipman  William  H.  Thompson;  Captain 
Gillespie's  squadron  of  mounted  riflemen,  acting  as  the  advance, 
the  rear  and  vanguards;  the  marines  of  the  Congress  and  Ports 
mouth,  under  Captain  J.  Zeilin,  adjutant  of  the  battalion;  the  mus 
keteers  of  the  Congress,  Savannah,  Cyane  and  Portsmouth,  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant  William  B.  Renshaw,  Passed  Midshipman 
John  Guest,  Acting  Lieutenants  B.  F.  B.  Hunter  and  Edward  Hig^ 
gins,  aided  by  Midshipmen  George  E.  Morgan,  J.  Van  Ne<s  Philip 
Theodoric  Lee,  Albert  Ailmand,  B.  F.  Wefls,  Edward  C.  Grafton' 
Robert  C.  Duvall  and  Philip  H.  Haywood,  and  William  Simmons' 
commodore's  clerk;  the  carbineers  of  the  Congress  and  Cyane 
under  the  orders  of  Passed  Midshipmen  J.  M.  Duncan  and  J  Fen- 
wick  Stenson,  and  Sailmaker  Reed,  aided  by  Midshipmen  Joseph 
Parish  and  Edmund  Shepherd— in  all  a  strength  of  about  six  hun 
dred  men.  Brigadier  General  Kearny  commanding  the  division 
and  Lieutenant  S.  C.  Rowan,  from  the  ship  Cyane,  major  of 
brigade;  Captain  W.  H.  Emory,  of  the  topographical  engineers, 
acting  adjutant  general;  Lieutenant  George  Minor,  of  the  Savan 
nah,  quartermaster,  in  charge  Tof  the  transportation,  aided  by  Mr 
Daniel  Fisher.  Mr.  Speiden,  the  purser  of  the  Congress,  per- 
formed  the  duties  of  commissary,  aided  by  Mr.  John  Bidwell.  Mr. 
Southwick,  carpenter  of  the  Congress,  acted  as  chief  engineer  at 
the  head  of  the  sappers  and  miners.  Dr.  John  S.  Griffin,  of  the 
army,  Dr.  Andrew  A.  Henderson,  of  the  Portsmouth,  and  Dr. 
Charles  Eversfield,  of  the  Congress,  attended  the  troops.  Lieuten 
ant  A.  F.  V.  Gray  and  Captain  Miguel  de  Pedrovena,  aids-de 
camp  to  the  commander-in- chief.  BttlCTOf t  Librarv 

Our  men  were  badly  clothed,  and  their  shoes  generallf  made  by 
themselves  out  of  canvas?.  It  WES  very  cold,  and  the  roads 
heavy.  Our  animals  were  all  poor  and  weak,  some  of  them  giving 
out  daily,  which  gave  much  hard  work  to  the  men  in  dragging  the 
heavy  carts,  loaded  with  ammunition  and  provisions,  through  deep 
sands  and  up  steep  ascents,  and  the  prospect  before  us  was  far 
from  being  that  which  we  might  have  desired;  but  nothing  could 
break  down  the  fine  spirits  of  those  under  my  command,  or  cool 
their  readiness  and  ardor  to  perform  their  duty;  and  they  went 
through  the  whole  march  of  one.  hundred  and  forty-five  miles  with 
alacrity  and  cheerfulness. 

During  the  day  of  our  march  to  the  cayotes,  we  learned  that 
some  of  the  enemy  were  in  our  rear  following  us;  and  as  we  ap 
proached  the  cayotes  several  of  them  made  their  appearance  in 


[  31  ]  32 

front  of  the  house  upon  the  hill,  and  waved  their  lances  in  angry 
defiance;  but  on  the  approach  of  the  advance  guard,  they  rode  off 
and  left  us  to  encamp  on  the  hill  near  the  house  without  molestation. 

Being  quite  satisfied  that  w.e  were  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
enemy,  during  the  night  a  confidential  person  was  sent  to-  ascer 
tain,  if  possible,  their  position;  he  returned,  and  informed  me  that 
the  enemy  were  in  force  between  us  and  the  "Rio  San  Gabriel," 
and  I  was  satisfied  that  the  enemy  intended  at  last  to  make  a  stand 
against  us,  and  to  fight  us  on  the  8th  day  of  January.  The  day 
suited  me.  Before  moving  that  morning,  the  arms  were  fired  and 
reloaded,  and  each  officer  and  man  was  assigned  his  position  for 
the  fight,  and  was  reminded  that  it  was  the  8th  day  of  January  and 
the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 

We  marched  at  9  o'clock.  Immediately  on  reaching  the  plain 
we  formed  a  square,  our  baggage  packs,  spare  oxen  and  beef  cattle, 
in  the  centre.  The  advance  guard  under  Captain  Hensley,  com 
pany  C,  first  dragoons,  under  Captain  Turner,  and  company  D> 
musketeers,  of  the  "Cyane,"  under  Acting  Lieutenant  Higgins,  oc 
cupied  the  centre,  with  two  pieces  of  artillery  on  each  flank  under 
Lieutenant  Tilghnian.  The  right  flank  composed  of  marines,  com 
pany  C,  musketeers  of  the  Portsmouth,  Acting  Lieutenant  Hunter; 
company  C,  carbineers,  Passed  Midshipman  Duncan;  company  A, 
carbineers  of  the  Cyane,  Acting  Master  Stenson;  and  company  A, 
carbineers  of  the  Congress.  Sailmaker  Peco;  the  whole  under  com 
mand  of  Captain  Zeilin.  The  left  flank  composed  of  company  B7 
musketeers  of  the  Savannah,  company  A,  musketeers  of  the  Con 
gress,  under  Acting  Master  Guest;  the  whole  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant  Renshaw.  The  rear  composed  of  two  pieces  of  ar 
tillery,  under  Acting  Master  Wm.  H»  Thompson.  The  guard  of 
the  day,  forty-nine  strong,  under  Midshipman  Haywood;  one  com 
pany  mounted  riflemen,  under  Lieutenant  Renshaw;  and  Captain 
Santiago  E.  Arguello's  company  of  Californians,  under  Lieutenant 
Luis  Arguello;  the  whole  under  the  command  of  Captain  Gillespie. 
When  within  about  two  miles  of  the  "Rio  San  Gabriel,"  the 
enemy  appeared  in  sight  upon  the  hills  on  the  opposite  side;  they 
were  six  hundred  in  number,  in  three  divisions,  their  right  about 
two  miles  down  the  river.  As  we  approached,  our  column  closed 
up  and  moved  steadily  on  towards  the  ford,  when,  within  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  of  the  river,  a  halt  was  ordered  and  dispositions  made 
to  meet  the  e'herny. 

A  detachment  of  marines,  under  Lieutenant  H.  B.  Watson,  was 
sent  to  strengthen  the  left  flank  of  the  square.  A  party  of  the 
enemy,  one  hundred  and  fifty  strong,  had  now  crossed  the  river 
and  made  several  ineffectual  attempts  to  drive  a  band  of  wild 
mares  upon  the  advance  party.  We  now  moved  forward  to  the 
ford  in  broken  filts;  Captain  Henley's  command  was  ordered  to 
dismount,  and,  acting  as  skirmishers,  it  deployed  to  the  front  and 
crossed  the  stream,  (which  is  about  fifty  yards  in  width,)  driving 
before  them  a  party  of  the  enemy  which  had  attempted  to  annoy 
us.  The  enemy  had  now  taken  their  position  upon  the  heights, 
distant  six  hundred  yards  from  the  river,  and  about  fifty  feet  above 


33  [  31  'i 

its  level;  their  centre  or  main  body,  about  two  hundred  strong, 
was  statiorfed  immediately  in  front  oj  the  ford,  upon  which  they 
opened  a  fire  from  two  pieces  of  artillery,  throwing  round  and 
grape  shot  without  effect.  Their  right  and  left  wings  were  sepa 
rated  from  the  main  body  about  three  hundred  yards.  Our  column 
halted  upon  the  edge  of  the  stream;  at  this  time  the  guns  were 
unlimbered  to  return  the  enemy's  fire,  but  were  ordered  again  t® 
be  limbered  and  not  a  gun  to  be  fired  until  the  opposite  bank  of 
4he  river  wa's  gained.  The  two  9- pounders,  dragged  by  officers 
as-well  as  men  and  mules,  soon  reached  the  opposite  batik,  when 
they  were  immediately  placed  in  battery.  The  column  now  fol 
lowed  in  order  under  a  most  galling  fire  from  the  enemy,  and  be 
came  warmly  engaged  on  the  opposite  bank,  their  round  shot  an& 
graj>e  falling  thickly  amongst  us  as  we  approached  the  stream^ 
without  doing  any  injury,  our  men  marching  steadily  forward* 
The  dragoons  and  Cyane's  musketeers  occupying  the  centre,  soon 
crossed  and  formed  upon  a  bank  about  four  feet  above  the  stream. 
The  left  advancing  at  the  same  time,  soon  occupied  its  position 
across  the  river. 

The  rear  was  longer  in  getting  across  the  water;  the  sand  being 
deep,  its  passage  was  delayed  by  the  baggage  carts;  however,  in  a. 
few  moments  the  passage  of  the  whole  force  was  effected  \*ith  onlj 
one  man  killed  and  one  wounded,  notwithstanding  the  enemy  kept 
up  an  incessant  fire  from  the  heights. 

On  taking  a  position  upon  the  Ipw  bank,  the  right  flank,  under 
Captain  Zeilin,  was  ordered  to  deploy  to  the  right;  two  guns  from 
the  rear  were  immediately  brought  to  the  right;  the  four-pounder, 
under  Acting  Master  Thompson,  supported  by  the  riflemen  under 
Lieutenant  Renshaw.  The  left  Hank  deployed  into  line  in  open  or 
der.  During  this  time  our  artillery  began  to  tell  upon  the  enemy^ 
who  continued  their  fire  without  interruption.  The  nine-pounders? 
standing  in  plain  view  upon  the  bank,  were  discharged  with  suck 
precision  that  it  soon  became  too  warm  for  the  enemy  to  remain  upoa 
the  brow  of  their  heights;  eventually  a  shot  told  upon  their  nine- 
pounder,  knocked  the  gun  from  its  trail,  astounding  the  enemy  s® 
much  that  they  left  it  for  four  or  five  minutes.  Some  twenty  of 
*hem  now  advanced,  and  hastily  fastening  ropes  to  it,  dragged  the 
gun  to  the  rear.  -  Captain  Henley's  skirmishers  now  advanced  and 
took  the  hill  upon  the  right,  the  left  wing  of  the  enemy  retreating 
before  them.  The  six- pounder  from  the  rear  had  now  come  up; 
Captain  Henley  was  ordered  to  support  it,  and  returned  from  the 
hill.  This  movement  being  observed,  the  enemy's  left  made  an  at 
tempt  to  charge  the  two  guns,  bu*  the  right  flank  of  the  marines, 
ander  Captain  Zeilin,  being  quickly  thrown  back,  showed  too 
steady  a  front  for  the  courage  of  the  Californians  to  engage,  wha 
wheeled  to  the  left  and  dashed  to  the  rear  across  the  river,  At 
this  time  the  enemy  were  observed  collecting  on  ou/  left,  and 
making  preparations  to  charge  our  left  flank.  General  Kearny 
~vas  now  ordered  to  form  a  square  with  the  troops  on  the  right 
fiank,  upon  which  the  left  flank,  in  case  of  being  worsted,  might 
rally.  The  right  wing  of  the  enemy  now  made  an  unsuccessful  at- 


[31] 


34 


tempt  to  charge  our  left,  but  finding  so  warm  a  reception  from  the 
musketeers  of  the  Savannah  "and  Congress,  under  Lieutenant  Ren- 
shaw  and  Acting  Master  Guest,  as  also  the  small  party  of  marines, 
under  Lieutenant  H.  B.  Watson,  they  changed  their  purpose  and 
retired,  when  a  discharge  of  artillery  told  upon  their  ranks.  The 
guard  of  the  day,  under  Midshipman  Haywood,  protected  the  ani 
mals  in  the  rear,  awaiting  with  patience  for  the  enemy  to  give 
them  an  opportunity  to  open  a  fire. 

The  dispositions  for  charging  the  heights  were  now  made.  The 
troops  having  been  brought  into  line,  the  command  forward  being 
given,  on  they  went  (the  artillery  in  battery)  charging  the  heights 
which  tlie  enemy's  centre  contested  for  a  few  moments,  then  broke 
in  retreat;  their  right  wing  charging  upon  the  rear,  under  Captain 
Gillespie,  encumbered  with  packs,  baggage,  horses,  and  cattle,  but 
receiving  a  well  directed  fire  from  t^e  guard,  which  hurled  some 
of  them  from  their  saddles,  they  fled  at  full  speed  across  the  river 
we  had  just  left.  The  other  portion  of  their  forces  retreated  be 
hind  their  artillery,  which  had  taken  position  in  a  ravine,  and 
again  opened  its  fire  upon  our  centre;  our  artillery  was  immedi 
ately  thrown  forward — the  troops  being  ordered  to  lay  down  to 
avoid  the  enemy's  cannon  balls  which  passed  directly  over  their 
heads. 

The  fire  from  our  artillery  was  incessant,  and  so  accurate  that 
the  enemy  were  from  time  to  time  driven  from  their  guns,  until 
they  finally  retreated. 

We  were  now  in  possession  of  the  heights,  where,  a  short  time 
before,  the  insurgents  had  so  vauntingly  taken  strong  position; 
and  the  band  playing  Hail  Columbia  and  Yankee  Doodle,  an 
nounced  another  glorious  victory  on  the  8th  day  of  January. 

Our  loss  in  this  action  was  ascertained. to  be  two  killed  and  nine 
wounded.  The  enemy's  loss  we  could  not  ascertain  with  any  cer 
tainty,  as  they  carried  away  both  killed  and  wounded  upon  their 
horses. 

We  moved  down  the  heights  until  they  brought  us  near  the 
river,  where  we  encamped,  having  our  cattle,  horses,  and  mules 
under  -the  bank,  safely  protected.  Tattoo  was  beat  at  an  early 
hour,  and  the  camp  retired  to  rest.  At  about  12  o'clock,  the  pick 
ets  having  been  fired  upon,  the  camp  was  soon  under  arms  in  the 
most  perfect  order.  Finding  the  enemy  made  no  further  demon 
stration,  after  remaining  under  arms  a  short  time,  we  again  sought. 
our  blankets,  and  nothing  disturbed  our  repose  until  the  sounding 
of  the  reveille  on  the  9th  told  us  to  be  stirring. 

At  daylight,  Captain  Zeilin  was  despatched  with  a  party  of  thirty 
marines  to  a  rancho  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  camp,  to 
ascertain  if  there  were  any  persons  concealed  about  it,  or  whether 
there  was  any  barley  or  provisions  to  be  found  there;  finding  none, 
he  returned  with  his  party  about  sunrise,  without  meeting  any  of 
the  enemy. 

At  9  o'clock  our  column  commenced  its  march,  taking  a  direct 
course  over  the  plain  of  the  Mesa,  towards  Ciudad  de  los  Angeles, 
We  had  advanced  some  six  miles  when  the  enemy  appeared  in  front, 


35  •[  31  ] 

deployed  in  open  order,  their  line  extending  nearly  across  our  road. 
Approaching  a  ravine  to  the  left  of  their  line  in  front,  the  enemy 
opened  a  fire  from  their  artillery,  masked  upon  the  edge  of  the 
bank,  but  with  no  other  effect  than  killing  an  ox  and  mule  in  the 
centre  of  the  square.  Our  artillery  soon  returned  the  fire  while 
still  continuing  the  march;  the  enemy  now  brought  up  two  other 
pieces  of  artillery;  our  column  halted;  our  artillery  on  the  two 
flanks  in  front  was  now  placed  in  battery.  The  six-pounder  under 
Acting  Master  Thompson,  upon  our  right  flank  in  rear,  now  opened 
its  fire  upon  the  enemy's  nine-pounder,  the  shot  telling  upon  it  and 
cutting  away  the  fixtures  about  the  gun  at  every  fire.  The  enemy 
in  front  and  upon  the  right  was  now  distant  about  six  hundred 
yards;  the  nine  pounders,  one  of  them  in  charge  of  Mr.  Southwick, 
soon  made  it  so  warm  for  their  artillery  in  front  that  the  enemy 
bore  it  off  to  their  rear. 

A  reinforcement  now  joined  thenf,  and  soon  after  down  they 
came  upon  us,  charging  upon  the  left  flank,  front  and  rear.  A 
shower  of  lead  from  the  musketry  under  Renshaw  and  Guest  and 
Passed  Midshipman  Duncan's  carbineers,  (who  had  to  day  taken 
post  on  the  left  flank)  being  well  delivered,  at  a  distance  of  eighty 
yards}  did  so  much  havoc  that  their  courage  failed  and  caused  them 
to  draw  off  more  to  the  rear,  which  had  until  this  moment  stood 
firm  without  firing  a  shot.  The  four-pounder  now  poured  forth  a 
charge  of  grape  upon*  a  party  of  the  enemy  about  thirty  yards  dis 
tant,  hurling  four  from  their  saddles,  and  they  again  retired. 

The  Californians  now  retreated,  and  we  pursued  our  march  along 
the  Mesa  and  crossed  the  Rio  San  Fernando  about  three  miles  be 
low  the  town,  where  we  encamped  for  the  night. 

During  the  day  we  lost  but  one  killed  and  five  wounded,  not 
withstanding  the  shot  from  the  enemy,  both  round  and  grape,  and 
from  the  carbines  of  the  horsemen,  fell  thick  among  our  men  who 
undauntingly  pursued  their  march  forward.  On  the  10th,  our  tents 
were  struck  at  an  early  hour,  but  the  morning  being  cold  and  the 
town  being  distant  but  three  miles,  our  march  was  delayed  until 
about  10  o'clock. 

We  entered  the  city  of  the  Angels,  our  band  playing  as  we 
marched  up  the  principal  street  to  the  square,  our  progress  being 
slightly  molested  by  a  few  drunken  fellows  who  remained  about 
the  town.  The  riflemen,  having  been  sent  to  the  heights  com 
manding  the  town,  were  soon  followed  by  Lieutenant  Tilghman, 
with  two  pieces  of  artillery,  supported  by  the  rnarines  under  Cap 
tain  2feilin,  the  enemy,  in  small  force,  retiring  out  of  sight  upon 
their  approach. 

Captain  Gillespie,  having  received  th£  order,  now  hoisted  the 
same  flag  upon  the  government  house  of  the  country  which  he 
hauled  down  when  he  retreated  from  the  city  in  September  last. 

Enclosed  I  send  the  report  of  our  killed  and  wounded.  Our 
loss  was  three  killed  and  fourteen  wounded;  that  of  the  enemy 
between  seventy  and  eighty,  besides  many  horses. 

My  narrative  is  done.  Our  friends  and  the  territory  have  been 
rescued.  I  will  only  add  that  we  had,  of  course,  to  simplify  mil- 


[  31  ]  36 

itary  tactics  for  our  own  use.     We  had,  therefore,  but  five  orders,  viz: 
form  line — form  square — fire — -repel  charge — charge.    .The  celerity 
and  accuracy  with  which  they  could  perform  these  evolutions  were 
remarkable,  and    bade    defiance   even    to    the   rapid   movements  of.. 
Calitornian  cavalry. 

I  have  thus  truly  exhibited  to  you,  sir,  sailor?,  (who  were  princi 
pally  armed  with  boarding  pikes,  carbines,  and  pistols,  having  no 
more  than  about  two  hundred  bayonets  in  the  whole  division,)  vic 
torious  over  an  equal  number  of  the  best  horsemen  in  the  world, 
•well  mounted  and  well  armed  with  carbines  and  pistols  and  lances. 
I  have  nothing  to  bestow  on  these  gallant  officers  and  men  for 
their  heroism,  except  my  poor  commendation,  which  I  most  sin: 
«erely  give  to  them,  individually  and  collectively.  I  must,  there 
fore,  recommend  them  to  you  for  the  greatest  reward  a  patriot 
may  claim — the  approbationgef  their  country. 
Faithfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Commander-in-chief. 

To  the  Hon.  GEORGE  BANCROFT, 

Secretary  of  the  JY*avy,  Washington^  D.  C. 


ClUDAD    DE    LOS    ANGELES, 

January  11,  1847. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  furnish  a  statement  of  the  killed  and 
wounded  in  the  actions  of  the  8th  and  9th  instants,  and  also  a  re 
port  from  the  senior  surgeon  present,  John  S.  Griffin,  viz: 

January  8th. 

Killed — Artillery,  1  private,  (U.  S.  seaman.) 
Wounded — Artillery,  1    private,  (volunteer   from   the    California 
battalion;)  foot,  7  privates,  (U.  S.  seamen;)  marines,  1  private. 
Total — 1  killed,  9  wounded. 

January  9th. 

Wounded — 1st  dragoons,  1  private;  foot,  1  officer,  (Lieutenant 
Bpwan,  U.  S.  navy,)  2  privates,  (U.  S.  seamen;)  California  bat 
talion,  1  officer,  (Captain  Gillespie.) 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

W.  H.  EMORY, 
Lieutenant  Topographical  Engineers, 

and  Acting  Adjutant  General. 
His  Excellency  R.  F.  STOCKTON, 

Governor  of  California^  fyc. 


37  [  31  ] 

ClUDAD    DE    LOS    ANGELES,    CALIFORNIA, 

January  11,  1847. 

STATEMENT. 

Killed  and  wounded  in  the  action  of  the  8th  January,  1847. 

Killed — Frederick  Strauss,  seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Portsmouth,  ar 
tillery  corps,  cannon  shot  in  neck. 

Wounded — 1st,  Jafob  Hait,  volunteer,  artillery  driver,  wound  in 
left  breast — died  on  evening  of  the  9th;  2d,  Thomas  Smith,  ordi 
nary  seaman,  ship  Cyane,  company  D,  musketeers,  shot  by  accident 
through  the  right  thigh — died  on  night  of  the  8th;  3d,  William  Coxe, 
seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Savannah,  company  B,  musketeers,  wound  in 
right  thigh  and  right  arm — severe;  4th,  George  Bantam,  ordinary 
seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Cyane,  pikeman,  punctured  wound  of  hand,  ac 
cidental—slight;  5th,  Patrick  Cambell,  seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Cyane, 
company  D,  musketeers,  wound  in  thigh  by  spent  ball — slight;  6th, 
William  Scott,  private,  U.  S.  marine  corps,  U.  S.  ship  Portsmouth, 
wound  in  chest,  spent  ball — slight;  7th,  James  Hendy,  seaman,  U. 
S.  ship  Congress,  company  A,  musketeers,  wound  over  stomach, 
spent  ball — slight;  8th,  Joseph  Wilson,  seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Con 
gress,  company  A,  musketeers,  wound  in  right  thigh,  spent  ball- 
slight;  9th,  Ivory  Coffin,  seaman,  U.  S.  ship  Savannah,  company 
Bj  musketeers,  contusion  of  right  knee,  spent  ball — slight. 

Wounded  on  the  9th. 

1st,  Mark  A.  Child,  private,  company  C,  1st  regiment  of  dra 
goons,  gun  shot  wound  in  right  heel,  penetrating  upwards  into  the 
ankle  joint — severe;  2d,  James  Cambell,  ordinary  seamen,  U.  S. 
ship  Congress,  company  D,  carbineers,  wound  in  right  foot,  second, 
toe  amputated,  accidental  discharge  of  his  own  carbine — severe; 
3d,  George  Crawford,  boatswain's  mate, U.  S.  ship  Cyane,  company 
D,  musketeers,  wound  in  left  thigh — severe. 

Lieutenant  Rowan,  U.  S.  navy,  and  Captain  Gillespie,  Califor 
nia  battalion,  slightly  contused  by  spent  balls. 

I  am,  sir,  most  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  S.  GRIFFIN, 
•Assistant  Surgeon,  U.  S.  Army. 
To  Captain  WM.  H.  EjuoRy, 

;  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  U.  S,  forces. 


